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by William Blake (1757 - 1827)

The smile
 (Sung text for setting by J. Mitchell)
 See original
Language: English 
There is a smile of love, 
 ...  there is a smile of deceit; 
and there is a smile of smiles, 
in which these two smiles meet. 
And there is a frown of hate, 
and there is a frown of disdain; 
and there is a frown of frowns 
which you strive to forget in vain, 
For it sticks in the heart's deep core, 
and it sticks in the deep backbone.
And no smile that ever was smiled, 
but only one smile alone -- 
That betwixt the cradle and grave 
it only once smiled can be, 
but when it once is smiled 
there's an end to all misery.

Composition:

    Set to music by John Mitchell (b. 1941), "The smile", op. 25 no. 7 (1977), from Visions from the Flame, no. 7

Text Authorship:

  • by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "The smile"

See other settings of this text.


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 106

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–Emily Ezust, Founder

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