I dug a grave under an oak-tree (Lowell, set by (Juliana Hall)) (The LiederNet Archive: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)

by Amy Lowell (1874 - 1925)

I dug a grave under an oak‑tree

Language: English

Available translation(s): SPA

I dug a grave under an oak-tree.
With infinite care, I stamped my spade
Into the heavy grass.
The sod sucked it,
And I drew it out with effort,
Watching the steel run liquid in the moonlight
As it came clear.
I stooped, and dug, and never turned,
For behind me,
On the dried leaves,
My own face lay like a white pebble,
Waiting.

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Authorship

by Amy Lowell (1874 - 1925), no title, appears in Pictures of the Floating World, in Dreams in War Time, no. 2, first published 1919 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Juliana Hall (b. 1958), "I dug a grave under an oak-tree", 2003, first performed 2011 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Dreams in War Time -- 7 songs for Mezzo and Piano, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2014-03-25
Line count: 12
Word count: 64