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by E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings (1894 - 1962)

when god lets my body be
Language: English 
when god lets my body be 
  
From each brave eye shall sprout a tree 
fruit that dangles therefrom 
  
the purpled world will dance upon 
Between my lips which did sing 
  
a rose shall beget the spring 
that maidens whom passion wastes 
  
will lay between their little breasts 
My strong fingers beneath the snow 
  
Into strenuous birds shall go 
my love walking in the grass 
  
their wings will touch with her face 
and all the while shall my heart be 
  
With the bulge and nuzzle of the sea 

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings (1894 - 1962), no title, appears in Tulips and Chimneys, in 1. Tulips, in 1. Songs, no. 6, first published 1923 [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 Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "when god lets my body be", 2004 [ tenor or baritone and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by William Laurence Bergsma (1921 - 1994), "when god lets my body be", published 1947 [ high voice and piano ], from Six Songs to Poems by E. E. Cummings, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Dan Welcher (b. 1948), "when god lets my body be", from Seven Songs, no. 7 [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2007-05-04
Line count: 14
Word count: 87

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