by Wallace Stevens (1879 - 1955)
The Emperor of Ice‑Cream Matches base text
Language: English
Call the roller of big cigars, The muscular one, and bid him whip In kitchen cups concupiscent curds. Let the wenches dawdle in such dress As they are used to wear, and let the boys Bring flowers in last month's newspapers. Let be be the finale of seem. The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream. Take from the dresser of deal, Lacking the three glass knobs, that sheet On which she embroidered fantails once And spread it so as to cover her face. If her horny feet protrude, they come To show how cold she is, and dumb. Let the lamp affix its beam. The only emperor is the emperor of ice-cream.
Composition:
- Set to music by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "The Emperor of Ice-Cream", 2005 [ medium voice and piano ]
Text Authorship:
- by Wallace Stevens (1879 - 1955), "The Emperor of Ice-Cream", appears in Harmonium, first published 1923
See other settings of this text.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-05-01
Line count: 16
Word count: 113