by Ernest Christopher Dowson (1867 - 1900)
Exceeding sorrow
Language: English
Exceeding sorrow Consumeth my sad heart! Because to-morrow We must depart, Now is exceeding sorrow All my part! Give over playing, Cast thy viol away: Merely laying Thine head my way: Prithee, give over playing, Grave or gay. Be no word spoken; Weep nothing: let a pale Silence, unbroken Silence prevail! Prithee, be no word spoken, Lest I fail! Forget tomorrow! Weep nothing: only lay In silent sorrow Thine head my way! Let us forget to-morrow This one day!
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Ernest Dowson, Collected Poems, ed. by R. K. R. Thornton with Caroline Dowson, Birmingham University Press, 2003, page 89.
Text Authorship:
- by Ernest Christopher Dowson (1867 - 1900), "O Mors! Quam amara est memoria tua homini pacem habenti in substantiis suis", appears in Book of the Rhymers' Club, first published 1892 [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 Frederick Delius (1862 - 1934), "O Mors!", 1906-7, published 1911 [ mezzo-soprano, chorus, and orchestra ], from Songs of Sunset, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Richard Hageman (1881 - 1966), "Grief", published <<1940 [ voice and piano ], New York : Carl Fischer [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Ahmed E. Ismail
This text was added to the website: 2005-01-23
Line count: 24
Word count: 79