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by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892)

Oh yet we trust that somehow good
Language: English 
Choose for Diff
  Oh yet we trust that somehow good
    Will be the final goal of ill,
    To pangs of nature, sins of will,
Defects of doubt, and taints of blood;

That nothing walks with aimless feet;
    That not one life shall be destroy'd,
    Or cast as rubbish to the void,
When God hath made the pile complete;

That not a worm is cloven in vain;
    That not a moth with vain desire
    Is shrivell'd in a fruitless fire,
Or but subserves another's gain.

Behold, we know not anything;
    I can but trust that good shall fall
    At last -- far off -- at last, to all,
And every winter change to spring.

So runs my dream: but what am I?
    An infant crying in the night:
    An infant crying for the light:
And with no language but a cry.

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892), written 1849, appears in In Memoriam A. H. H. obiit MDCCCXXXIII, no. 54, first published 1850 [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 Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss, Sir (1891 - 1975), "O yet we trust", F. 52 no. 5, published 1975 [ soprano, baritone, SATB chorus, and organ or orchestra ], from Shield of Faith, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Edith A. Bracken , "Oh yet we trust", <<1892 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Mrs. E. G. Shapcote , "Oh yet we trust that somehow good", published 1857 [ voice and piano ], from Eleven songs [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in French (Français), a translation by Léon Morel (1850 - 1917) , appears in In Memoriam, poèmes de Lord Alfred Tennyson traduits en vers français, Paris, Éd. Hachette, first published 1898 ; composed by Max d'Ollone.
    • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-01-11
Line count: 20
Word count: 136

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