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by E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings (1894 - 1962)

[No title]
 (Sung text for setting by J. Cloud)
 Matches original text
Language: English 
this is the garden:colours come and go,
frail azures fluttering from night's outer wing
strong silent greens serenely lingering,
absolute lights like baths of golden snow.
This is the garden:pursed lips do blow
upon cool flutes within wide glooms,and sing
(of harps celestial to the quivering string)
invisible faces hauntingly and slow.

This is the garden.   Time shall surely reap
and on Death's blade lie many a flower curled,
in other lands where other songs be sung;
yet stand They here enraptured,as among
The slow deep trees perpetual of sleep
some silver-fingered fountain steals the world.

Note: this poem entered the public domain in 2021.

Composition:

    Set to music by Judith Cloud (1954 - 2023), no title, copyright © 2009 [ high voice and piano ], from I Spill My Soul, no. 2, CloudWalk Press

Text Authorship:

  • by E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings (1894 - 1962), no title, appears in XLI Poems, in 5. Sonnets, no. 4, first published 1925

See other settings of this text.


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2005-06-08
Line count: 14
Word count: 96

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