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by Sara Teasdale (1884 - 1933)

Old tunes
 (Sung text for setting by L. Laitman)
 Matches base text
Language: English 
As the waves of perfume, heliotrope, rose,
Float in the garden when no wind blows,
Come to us, go from us, whence no one knows;
So the old tunes float in my mind,
And go from me leaving no trace behind,
Like fragrance borne on the hush of the wind.
but in the instant the airs remain
I know the laughter and the pain
Of times that will not come again.
I try to catch at many a tune
Like petals of light fallen from the moon,
Broken and bright on a dark lagoon.
But they float away-for who can hold
Youth, or perfume or the moon's gold?

Composition:

    Set to music by Lori Laitman (b. 1955), "Old tunes", 1991-2 [ soprano and piano ], from The Metropolitan Tower and Other Songs, no. 3

Text Authorship:

  • by Sara Teasdale (1884 - 1933)

See other settings of this text.


Researcher for this page: David Evan Thomas

This text was added to the website: 2006-06-12
Line count: 14
Word count: 108

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