by Ernest 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.
Authorship
- by Ernest 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. [text verified 1 time]
- by Richard Hageman (1882 - 1966), "Grief", published <<1940 [voice and piano], New York : Carl Fischer [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Ahmed E. Ismail
This text was added to the website: 2005-01-23
Line count: 24
Word count: 79