Something lies beyond the scene the encre de chine, marine obscene Horizon In Hell Black as a bison See the tall black Aga on the sofa in the alga mope, his Bell-rope Moustache (clear as a great bell!) Waves in eighteen-eighty Bustles Come Late with tambourines of Rustling Foam. They answer to the names Of ancient dames and shames, and Only call horizons their home. Coldly wheeze (Chinese as these black-armoured fleas that dance) the breezes Seeking for horizons Wide; from her orisons In her wide Vermilion Pavilion By the seaside The doors clang open and hide Where the wind died Nothing but the Princess Cockatrice Lean Dancing a caprice To the wind's tambourine.
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
Note: used as the second part of "I do like to be beside the seaside", revised 1950Text Authorship:
- by Edith Sitwell (1887 - 1964), "Something lies beyond the scene", appears in Troy Park, first published 1925 [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 William Walton (1902 - 1983), "Something lies beyond the scene", published 1951, first performed 1923?6 [ reciter and chamber ensemble ], from Façade [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Dan Eggleston
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 35
Word count: 114