Nocturnal

Song Cycle by Elizabeth Maconchy (1907 - 1994)

1. Come!
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
Will you come in early spring?
Come at Easter, or in May?
Or when Whitsuntide may bring
Longer light to show your way?

Will you come, if you be true
For to quicken love anew?
Will you call in spring or fall?
O come, o come now soon!

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2. Will you come?
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
Will you come?
 ... 
Will you ride
So late
At my side?
O, will you come?

 ... 
If the night
Has a moon,
 ... ?

 ... 
Would you come
If the noon
Gave light,
Not the moon?
O beautiful, would you come?

 ... 
Would you have come
Without scorning,
Had it been
Still morning?
Beloved, would you have come?

If you come
Haste and come,
Owls have cried;
It grows dark 
To ride.
Beloved, beautiful, come.

Text Authorship:

  • by Edward Thomas (1878 - 1917), as Edward Eastaway, "Will you come?", first published 1917

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Researcher for this page: David Kenneth Smith

3. To the night
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
 ... 

  Death will come when thou art dead, 
     Soon, too soon -
 Sleep will come when thou art fled; 
   Of neither would I ask the boon 
 I ask to thee, beloved Night -
 Swift be thy approaching flight,
     Come soon, soon!

Text Authorship:

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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Total word count: 157