O where are you going? said reader to rider, That valley is fatal when furnaces burn, Yonders the midden whose odors will madden, That gap is the grave where the tall return. O do you imagine, said fearer to farer, That dusk will delay on your path to the pass, Your diligent looking discover the lacking, Your footsteps feel from granite to grass? O what was that bird, said horror to hearer, Did you see that shape in the twisted tree? Behind you swiftly the figure comes softly, The spot on your skin is a shocking disease. Out of this house said rider to reader, Yours never will said farer to fearer, Theyre looking for you said hearer to horror, As he left them there, as he left them there.
About the headline (FAQ)
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.
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Jack Hamilton Beeson (b. 1921), "Ballad: O where are you going?", 1976 [ voice and piano ], from From a Watchtower, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ned Rorem (1923 - 2022), "O where are you going", 1997, published 1999, from Evidence of Things Not Seen, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2004-08-04
Line count: 16
Word count: 130