by Felicia Dorothea Hemans (1793 - 1835)
By the mighty minster's bell
Language: English
By the mighty minster's bell, Tolling with a sudden swell; By the colours half-mast high, O'er the sea hung mournfully; Know, a prince hath died! By the drum's dull muffled sound, By the arms that sweep the ground, By the volleying muskets' tone, Speak ye of a soldier gone In his manhood's pride. By the chanted psalm that fills Reverently the ancient hills, Learn, that from his harvests done, Peasants bear a brother on To his last repose. By the pall of snowy white Through the yew-trees gleaming bright; By the garland on the bier, Weep! a maiden claims thy tear — Broken is the rose! Which is the tenderest rite of all? — Buried virgin's coronal, Requiem o'er the monarch's head, Farewell gun for warrior dead, Herdsman's funeral hymn? Tells not each of human woe? Each of hope and strength brought low? Number each with holy things, If one chastening thought it brings Ere life's day grow dim!
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Poems of Felicia Hemans, 1872, page 372. This edition includes a note for stanza 2, line 2: "A custom still retained at rural funerals in some parts of England and Wales."
Authorship:
- by Felicia Dorothea Hemans (1793 - 1835), "Last Rites" [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 Felicia Dorothea Hemans (1793 - 1835), "By the mighty minster's bell", published 1830? [ voice and piano ], London : Lonsdale & Mills [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2023-07-23
Line count: 30
Word count: 159