Two Celtic Songs - Poems by Joseph Campbell

Song Cycle by Elaine Hugh-Jones (b. 1927)

1. The old woman  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
As a white candle
In a holy place,
So is the beauty
Of an agéd face.

As the spent radiance
Of the winter sun,
So is a woman
With her travail done.

Her brood gone from her,
And her thoughts as still
As the waters
Under a ruined mill.

Text Authorship:

  • by Joseph Campbell (1881 - 1944), "The old woman", appears in Irishry, Dublin, Maunsel & Company, first published 1913

See other settings of this text.

Confirmed with Joseph Campbell, Irishry, Dublin, Maunsel & Company, 1913, page 79.


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit [Guest Editor]

2. The dancer

Language: English 
— This text is not currently
in the database but will be added
as soon as we obtain it. —

Text Authorship:

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Total word count: 49