In the woods as I did walk, Dappled with the moon's beam, I did with a Stranger talk, And his name was Dream. Spurred his heel, dark his cloak, Shady-wide his bonnet's brim; His horse beneath a silvery oak Grazed as I talked with him. Softly his breast-brooch burned and shone; Hill and deep were in his eyes; One of his hands held mine, and one The fruit that makes men wise. Wondrously strange was earth to see, Flowers white as milk did gleam; Spread to Heaven the Assyrian Tree, Over my head with Dream. Dews were still betwixt us twain; Stars a trembling beauty shed; Yet--not a whisper comes again Of the words he said.
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Text Authorship:
- by Walter De la Mare (1873 - 1956), "The stranger", appears in The Sunken Garden and Other Poems, first published 1917 [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 Cecil Armstrong Gibbs (1889 - 1960), "The stranger", op. 21 (Two Songs) no. 2, published 1920 [ voice and piano ], from Five Songs, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-01-11
Line count: 20
Word count: 116