The end | After the blast of lightning from the East

by Wilfred Owen (1893 - 1918)

The end

Language: English

Our translations: CAT FRE SPA

After the blast of lightning from the East,
The flourish of loud clouds, the Chariot Throne;
After the drums of time have rolled and ceased,
And by the bronze west long retreat is blown,

Shall life renew these bodies? Of a truth
All death will He annul, all tears assuage? -
[Or fill these void veins full again with youth]¹,
And wash, with an immortal water, Age?

When I do ask white Age he saith not so:
"My head hangs weighed with snow."
And when I hearken to the Earth, she saith:
"My fiery heart shrinks, aching. It is death.
Mine ancient scars shalls not be glorified,
Nor my titanic tears, the sea, be dried."

Available sung texts: ← What is this?

• B. Britten

View original text (without footnotes)

First published in the Saturday Westminster Gazette, 1919.

¹ Britten: "Fill the void veins of Life again with youth"

Text Authorship:

by Wilfred Owen (1893 - 1918), "The end" [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 Elaine Hugh-Jones (b. 1927), "The end" [ tenor or baritone and piano or orchestra ], from Songs of War, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]

The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:

by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Sanctus", op. 66 no. 4, published 1961 [ soprano, tenor, baritone, satb chorus, boys' chorus, orchestra, chamber orchestra, organ ], from War Requiem, no. 4
- View the full text. [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: 2008-01-08
Line count: 14
Word count: 114