Hear the voice of the Bard! Who Present, Past, and Future see; Whose ears have heard the Holy Word That walked among the ancient trees, Calling the lapsed Soul And weeping in the evening dew That might control the starry pole, And fallen, fallen light renew! "O earth, O earth, return! Arise from out the dewy grass; Night is worn, and [the morn]1 rises from the slumbering mass. "Turn away no more; Why wilt thou turn away? The starry floor, the watery shore, Is given thee till break of day."
Songs of Experience
Song Cycle by John Austin Sykes (1909 - 1962)
1. Introd.  [sung text not yet checked]
Authorship
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "Introduction", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 1, first published 1794 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
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View original text (without footnotes)1 Mitchell: morning
Researcher for this text: Victoria Brago
2. Earth's answer  [sung text not yet checked]
Earth rais'd up her head From the darkness dread and drear. Her light fled, Stony dread! And her locks cover'd with grey despair. "Prison'd on wat'ry shore, Starry Jealousy does keep my den: Cold and hoar, Weeping o'er, I hear the Father of the Ancient Men. "Selfish Father of Men! Cruel, jealous, selfish Fear! Can delight, Chain'd in night, The virgins of youth and morning bear? "Does spring hide its joy When buds and blossoms grow? Does the sower Sow by night, Or the ploughman in darkness plough? "Break this heavy chain That does freeze my bones around. Selfish! vain! Eternal bane! That free Love with bondage bound."
Authorship
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "Earth's answer", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 2, first published 1794 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]3. My pretty rose tree  [sung text not yet checked]
A flower was offered to me; Such a flower as May never bore. But I said I've a Pretty Rose-tree! And I passed the sweet flower o'er. Then I went to my Pretty Rose-tree; To tend her by day and by night. But my Rose turnd away with jealousy: And her thorns were my only delight.
Authorship
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "My pretty rose tree", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 13, first published 1794 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]4. Ah! Sunflower  [sung text not yet checked]
Ah, Sun-flower! weary of time, Who countest the steps of the Sun; Seeking after that sweet golden clime, Where the traveller's journey is done: Where the Youth pined away with desire, And the pale Virgin shrouded in snow, Arise from their graves and aspire Where my Sun-flower wishes to go.
Authorship
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 14, first published 1794 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Ah ! tournesol !", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Elisa Rapado) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
5. The lily  [sung text not yet checked]
The modest rose puts forth a thorn, The humble sheep a threatening horn, While the lily white shall in love delight, Nor a thorn nor a threat stain her beauty bright.
Authorship
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "The lily", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 15, first published 1794 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]6. The poison tree  [sung text not yet checked]
I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow. And I water'd it in fears, Night & morning with my tears; And I sunned it with smiles, And with soft deceitful wiles. And it grew both day and night, Till it bore an apple bright. And my foe beheld it shine, And he knew that it was mine. And into my garden stole When the night had veil'd the pole, In the morning glad I see My foe outstretch'd beneath the tree.
Authorship
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "The poison tree", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 21, first published 1794 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Un arbre empoisonné", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Ein Giftbaum", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
7. The sick rose  [sung text not yet checked]
O Rose, thou art sick! The invisible worm That flies in the night, In the howling storm, Has found out thy bed Of crimson joy: And his dark secret love Does thy life destroy.
Authorship
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "The sick rose", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 9, first published 1794 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "La rosa malalta", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Jean-Pierre Granger) , "La rose malade", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Walter A. Aue) , "Die erkrankte Rose", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Die kranke Rose", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- IRI Irish (Gaelic) [singable] (Gabriel Rosenstock) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- NYN Norwegian (Nynorsk) (Are Frode Søholt) , "Elegi", copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- RUS Russian (Русский) [singable] (Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov) , "Больная роза", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Pablo Sabat) , "Elegía"
8. The fly  [sung text not yet checked]
Little Fly, Thy summer's play My thoughtless hand Has brush'd away. Am not I A fly like thee? Or art not thou A man like me? For I dance And drink & sing: Till some blind hand Shall brush my wing. If thought is life And strength & breath And the want Of thought is death; Then am I A happy fly, If I live, Or if I die.
Authorship
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "The fly", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 10, first published 1794 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "La mouche", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- RUS Russian (Русский) [singable] (Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov) , "Мотылёк", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
9. Holy Thursday  [sung text not yet checked]
Is this a holy thing to see In a rich and fruitful land, Babes reduc'd to misery, Fed with cold and usurous hand? Is that trembling cry a song? Can it be song of joy? And so many children poor? It is a land of poverty! And their sun does never shine, And their fields are bleak & bare, And their ways are fill'd with thorns: It is eternal winter there. For where-e'er the sun does shine, And were-e'er the rain does fall, Babe can never hunger there, Nor poverty the mind appall.
Authorship
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "Holy Thursday", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 4, first published 1794 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
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Researcher for this text: Ahmed E. Ismail10. The Tyger  [sung text not yet checked]
Tyger Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry? In what distant deeps or skies Burnt the fire of thine eyes? On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand, dare sieze the fire? And what shoulder, & what art, Could twist the sinews of thy heart? And when thy heart began to beat, What dread hand? & what dread feet? What the hammer? what the chain, In what furnace was thy brain? What the anvil? what dread grasp, Dare its deadly terrors clasp! When the stars threw down their spears And water'd heaven with their tears: Did he smile his work to see? Did he who made the Lamb make thee? Tyger Tyger burning bright, In the forests of the night: What immortal hand or eye, Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
Authorship
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "The tyger", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 12, first published 1794 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El tigre", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le tigre", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Walter A. Aue) , "Der Tiger", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Thomas Schubert) , "Der Tiger", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- RUS Russian (Русский) [singable] (Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov) , "Тигр", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission