by Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928)
Shut out that moon
Language: English
Close up the casement, draw the blind, Shut out that stealing moon, She wears too much the guise she wore Before our lutes were strewn With years-deep dust, and names we read On a white stone were hewn. Step not out on the dew-dashed lawn To view the Lady's Chair, Immense Orion's glittering form, The Less' and Greater Bear: Stay in; to such sights we were drawn When faded ones were fair. Brush not the bough for midnight scents That come forth lingeringly, And wake the same sweet sentiments They breathed to you and me When living seemed a laugh, and love All it was said to be. Within the common lamp-lit room Prison my eyes and thought; Let dingy details crudely loom, Mechanic speech be wrought: Too fragrant was Life's early bloom, Too tart the fruit it brought!
Authorship:
- by Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928), "Shut out that moon", appears in Time's Laughingstocks and Other Verses, first published 1909 [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 Gordon Ware Binkerd (1916 - 2003), "Shut out that moon", published 1968 [ high voice and piano ], from Shut out that moon, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Roy Buckle (b. 1926), "Shut out that moon", published 2002 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2006-10-11
Line count: 24
Word count: 139