by Ernest Christopher Dowson (1867 - 1900)

Language: English 
They are not long, the weeping and the laughter,
  Love and desire and hate:
I think they have no portion in us after
  We pass the gate.

They are not long, the days of wine and roses:
  Out of a misty dream
Our path emerges for a while, then closes
  Within a dream.

Composition:

    Set to music by Roger Quilter (1877 - 1953), "Passing dreams", op. 10 no. 2 (c1904), published 1908, rev. 1907, first performed 1904 [ voice and piano ], from Songs of Sorrow, no. 2, London, Boosey

Text Authorship:

  • by Ernest Christopher Dowson (1867 - 1900), "Vitae summa brevis spem nos vetat incohare longam", appears in Verses, London, Leonard Smithers, first published 1896

See other settings of this text.


Research team for this page: David K. Smythe , Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 53