by E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings (1894 - 1962)
it may not always be so;and i say
Language: English
it may not always be so;and i say that if your lips,which i have loved,should touch another's,and your dear strong fingers clutch his heart,as mine in time not far away; if on another's face your sweet hair lay in such a silence as i know,or such great writhing words as,uttering overmuch, stand helplessly before the spirit at bay; if this should be,i say if this should be-- you of my heart,send me a little word; that i may go unto him,and take his hands, saying,Accept all happiness from me. Then shall i turn my face,and hear one bird sing terribly afar in the lost lands.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with E. E. Cummings, Tulips and Chimneys, New York: Liveright, 1976, page 140.
Text Authorship:
- by E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings (1894 - 1962), no title, appears in Tulips and Chimneys, in 2. Chimneys, in 2. Sonnets - Unrealities, no. 1, first published 1917 [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), "it may not always be so; and i say", 1983 [ high voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Henk Badings (1907 - 1987), "it may not always be so", from 8 songs, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Laurence Bergsma (1921 - 1994), "It may not always be so", published 1947 [ tenor and piano ], from Six Songs to Poems by E. E. Cummings, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Margaret Garwood (1927 - 2015), "It may not always be so", published 1963 [ soprano and piano ], from Lovesongs: 6 Songs to Poems of E. E. Cummings [sung text not yet checked]
- by Brad Mehldau (b. 1970), "it may not always be so; and i say", from Love Songs, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2007-05-12
Line count: 14
Word count: 105