by Alfred Edward Housman (1859 - 1936)

Language: English 
The star-filled seas are smooth to-night
From France to England strown;
Black towers above the Portland light
The felon-quarried stone.

On yonder island, not to rise,
Never to stir forth free,
Far from his folk a dead lad lies
That once was friends with me.

Lie you easy, dream you light,
And sleep you fast for aye;
And luckier may you find the night
Than ever you found the day.

Composition:

    Set to music by Charles Wilfred Orr (1893 - 1976), "The Isle of Portland", 1938, published 1940 [ baritone and piano ]

Text Authorship:

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Researcher for this page: Ted Perry

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 70