by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797 - 1851)
The Vow
Language: English
By the sacred earth on which I kneel, By the shades that wander, hear me, By the deep and eternal grief I feel, I swear; I swear... And by thee, O Night, And the spirits that preside over thee, I swear; I swear To pursue my demon, Until he or I shall perish. And I call on you spirits of the dead And on you, wandering ministers of vengeance, To aid and conduct me in my work. Let the cursed and hellish monster drink deep of agony. Let him feel the despair that now torments me. Again do I vow vengeance Again do i promise thee, Miserable fiend, to destroy thee. And then with ecstasy shall I join my Elizabeth And my departed friends. The spirits of the dead hover round, And drive me to revenge.
Text Authorship:
- by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797 - 1851) [author's text not yet checked 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 Jeremiah Strickler , "The Vow", first performed 2021 [ baritone and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2021-04-12
Line count: 21
Word count: 136