by Vachel Lindsay (1879 - 1931)
The moon's a monk, unmated
Language: English
The moon's a monk, unmated, Who walks his cell, the sky. His strength is that of heaven-vowed men Who all life's flames defy. They turn to stars or shadows, They go like snow or dew -- Leaving behind no sorrow -- Only the arching blue.
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Text Authorship:
- by Vachel Lindsay (1879 - 1931), "The Strength of the Lonely (What the Mendicant Said)", appears in The Congo and Other Poems, first published 1914 [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 Jake Heggie (b. 1961), "The Strength of the Lonely (What the Mendicant Said)", 2001, first performed 2002 [baritone and piano], from The Moon is a Mirror, no. 1. [text not verified]
- by M. Ryan Taylor (b. 1972), "The Strength of the Lonely", 1999 [voice and piano], from The Moon Songs, no. 6. [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-07-29
Line count: 8
Word count: 44