by John Henry Newman (1801 - 1890)
They are at rest
Language: English
They are at rest. We may not stir the [heaven]1 of their repose By rude invoking voice, or prayer addrest In waywardness to those Who in the mountain grots of Eden lie, And hear the fourfold river as it murmurs by. They hear it sweep In distance down the dark and savage vale; But they at rocky bed, or current deep, Shall never more grow pale; They hear, and meekly muse, as fain to know How long untired, unspent, that giant stream shall flow. And soothing sounds [Blend]2 with the neighb'ring waters as they glide; Posted along the haunted garden's bounds, Angelic forms abide, Echoing, as words of watch, o'er lawn and grove The verses of that hymn which Seraphs chant above.
E. Elgar sets stanzas 1, 3
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Elgar: "heav'n"
2 Elgar: "Blending"
Text Authorship:
- by John Henry Newman (1801 - 1890), "Rest" [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 George Dyson (1883 - 1964), "Rest", from Quo Vadis: a Cycle of Poems, no. 8. [text verified 1 time]
- by Edward Elgar, Sir (1857 - 1934), "They are at rest", 1909, stanzas 1,3. [SATB chorus] [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 122