by Robert Malise Bowyer Nichols (1893 - 1944)
The shepherd's night‑song
Language: English
Now arched dark boughs hang dim and still; The deep dew glistens up the hill; Silence trembles. All is still. Now the sweet siren of the woods, Philomel, passionately broods, Or, darkling, hymns love's wildest moods. Danaë, fainting in her tower, Feels a sudden sun swim lower, Gasps beneath the starry shower. Venus in the pomegranate grove Flutters like a fluttering dove Under young Adonis' love. Leda longs until alight In the reeds those wings of white She hears beat the upper night. Golden now the glowing moon, Diana over Endymion Downward bends as in a swoon. Wherefore, since the gods agree Youth is sweet and Night is free And Love pleasure, should not we? Shepherds all, maidens fair, Fold your flocks up, for the air 'Gins to thicken, and the sun Already his great course hath run. Sweetest slumbers, And soft silence, fall in numbers On your eyelids! So farewell: Thus'll end my evening's knell.
Authorship:
- by Robert Malise Bowyer Nichols (1893 - 1944) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss, Sir (1891 - 1975), "The shepherd's night-song", op. 46 no. 7, F. 33 no. 7 (1928) [solo voice, chorus, flute, timpani and strings], from Pastoral 'Lie strewn the white flocks', no. 7. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-12-31
Line count: 29
Word count: 156