Underneath an abject willow, Lover, sulk no more: Act from thought should quickly follow. What is thinking for? Your unique and moping station Proves you cold; Stand up and fold Your map of desolation. Bells that toll across the meadows From the sombre spire Toll for these unloving shadows Love does not require. All that lives may love; why longer Bow to loss With arms across? Strike and you shall conquer. Geese in flocks above you flying. Their direction know, [Icy brooks beneath you flowing, To their ocean go. Dark and dull is your distraction]1: Walk then, come, No longer numb Into your satisfaction.
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View original text (without footnotes)1 Britten:
Brooks beneath the thin ice flowing, To their ocean go. Coldest love will warm to action
Text Authorship:
- by W. H. (Wystan Hugh) Auden (1907 - 1973), no title, appears in Look, Stranger!, first published 1936 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Underneath the abject willow", 1937, published 1937 [ vocal duet for 2 sopranos with piano ], from Two Ballads for two voices and piano, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Underneath the abject willow", published c1942 [ high voice and piano ], from Fish in the unruffled lakes : Six Auden Settings for High Voice and Piano, no. 6, note: collected into one publication in 1997 [sung text not yet checked]
- by James Myron Cohn (b. 1928), "Underneath an abject willow", 1969 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Three Phases of Love [sung text not yet checked]
- by Louis Drakeford , "Underneath an abject willow" [ baritone and piano ], from Four songs [sung text not yet checked]
- by T. Wallace Southam , "Underneath the abject willow", published 1966 [ voice and piano ], from Poetry Set in Jazz [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Elaine Marie Ortiz-Arandes) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Elaine Marie Ortiz-Arandes
This text was added to the website: 2015-09-24
Line count: 24
Word count: 104