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by Patrick Henry Pearse (1879 - 1916)

Lullaby of the Woman of the Mountain
 (Sung text for setting by N. Rorem)
 Matches base text
Language: English 
Grief on the death, it has blackened my heart:
It has snatched my low and left me desolate,
Without friend or companion under the roof of my house
But this sorrow in the midst of me, and I keening.
 
As I walked the mountain in the evening
The birds spoke to me sorrowfully,
The sweet snipe spoke and the voiceless curlew
Relating to me that my darling was dead.
 
I called to you and your voice I heard not,
I called again and I got no answer,
I kissed your mouth, and O God how cold it was!
Ah, cold is your bed in the lonely churchyard.
 
O green-sodded grave in which my child is,
Little narrow grave, since you are his bed,
My blessing on you, and thousands of blessings
On the green sods that are over my treasure.
 
Grief on the death, it cannot be denied,
It lays low, green and withered together, --
And O gentle little son, what tortures me is
That your fair body should be making clay!

Composition:

    Set to music by Ned Rorem (1923 - 2022), "Lullaby of the Woman of the Mountain"

Text Authorship:

  • by Patrick Henry Pearse (1879 - 1916), "A woman of the mountain keens her son"

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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-02-08
Line count: 20
Word count: 172

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