Something lies beyond the scene the encre de chine, marine obscene Horizon In Hell Black as a bison See the tall black Aga on the sofa in the alga mope, his Bell-rope Moustache (clear as a great bell!) Waves in eighteen-eighty Bustles Come Late with tambourines of Rustling Foam. They answer to the names Of ancient dames and shames, and Only call horizons their home. Coldly wheeze (Chinese as these black-armoured fleas that dance) the breezes Seeking for horizons Wide; from her orisons In her wide Vermilion Pavilion By the seaside The doors clang open and hide Where the wind died Nothing but the Princess Cockatrice Lean Dancing a caprice To the wind's tambourine.
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Note: used as the second part of "I do like to be beside the seaside", revised 1950Composition:
- Set to music by William Walton (1902 - 1983), "Something lies beyond the scene", published 1951, first performed 1923?6 [ reciter and chamber ensemble ], from Façade
Text Authorship:
- by Edith Sitwell (1887 - 1964), "Something lies beyond the scene", appears in Troy Park, first published 1925
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Researcher for this page: Dan Eggleston
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 35
Word count: 114