by Langston Hughes (1902 - 1967)
Song for Billie Holiday
Language: English
What can purge my heart
Of the song
And the sadness?
What can purge my heart
But the song
Of the sadness?
What can purge my heart
Of the sadness
Of the song?
Do not speak of sorrow
With dust in her hair,
Or bits of dust in eyes
A chance wind blows there.
The sorrow that I speak of
Is dusted with despair.
Voice of muted trumpet,
Cold brass in warm air.
Bitter television blurred
By sound that shimmers–
Where?
Text Authorship:
- by Langston Hughes (1902 - 1967), "Song for Billie Holiday" [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 Sylvia T. Hollifield (b. 1951), "Song for Billie Holiday" [ baritone and piano ], from Shades of Hues [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2023-10-04
Line count: 20
Word count: 81