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.
Four William Blake Songs
Song Cycle by Raymond Wilding-White (1922 - 2001)
1. The sick rose [sung text not yet checked]
Language: English
Text 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
See other settings of this text.
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
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2025, (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"
2. The little boy lost [sung text not yet checked]
Language: English
``Father! father! where are you going? O do not walk so fast. Speak, father, speak to your little boy, Or else I shall be lost.'' The night was dark, no father was there; The child was wet with dew; The mire was deep, & the child did weep, And away the vapour flew.
Text Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "The little boy lost", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Innocence, no. 8, first published 1789
See other settings of this text.
Researcher for this page: Ahmed E. Ismail3. Soft snow [sung text not yet checked]
Language: English
I walked abroad in a snowy day I askd the soft snow with me to play She playd & she melted in all her prime And the winter calld it a dreadful crime.
Text Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "Soft snow", written 1793, appears in Notebook, in Gnomic Verses, no. 9
See other settings of this text.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]4. The wild flower's song [sung text not yet checked]
Language: English
As I wander'd the forest, The green leaves among, I heard a wild flower Singing a song: "I slept in the dark In the silent night, I murmur'd my fears And I felt delight. "In the morning I went As rosy as morn To seek for a new Joy, But I met with scorn."
Text Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "The wild flower's song", from Life, Vol. II, first published 1863
See other settings of this text.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]Total word count: 174