by Robert Seymour Bridges (1844 - 1930)
Say who is this with silvered hair
Language: English
Say who is this with silvered hair, So pale and worn and thin, Who passeth here, and passeth there, And looketh out and in ? That useth not our garb nor tongue, And knoweth things untold : Who teacheth pleasure to the young, And wisdom to the old? No toil he maketh his by day, No home his own by night ; But wheresoe'er he take his way, He killeth our delight. Since he is come there's nothing wise Nor fair in man or child, Unless his deep divining eyes Have looked on it and smiled. Whence came he hither all alone Among our folk to spy? There's nought that we can call our own, Till he shall hap to die. And I would dig his grave full deep Beneath the churchyard yew, Lest thence his wizard eyes might peep To mark the things we do.
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Text Authorship:
- by Robert Seymour Bridges (1844 - 1930), no title, appears in The Shorter Poems of Robert Bridges, first published 1890 [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 Fritz Bennicke Hart (1874 - 1949), "Say who is this?", 1935 [women's chorus a cappella], from Five Part-Songs for Women's Choir, Set I [text not verified]
- by Gustav Holst (1874 - 1934), "Say who is this?", op. 44 no. 1, H. 162 no. 1, published 1926, 1974 [SSA chorus and strings], from Seven Partsongs, no. 1. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-02-04
Line count: 24
Word count: 144