When I lie where shades of darkness
Shall no more assail mine eyes,
Nor the rain make lamentation
When the wind sighs;
How will fare the world whose wonder
Was the very proof of me?
Memory fades, must the remembered
Perishing be?
Oh, when this my dust surrenders
Hand, foot, lip, to dust again,
May these loved and loving faces
Please other men!
May the rusting harvest hedgerow
Still the Traveller's Joy entwine,
And as happy children gather
Posies once mine.
Look thy last on all things lovely,
Every hour. Let no night
Seal thy sense in deathly slumber
Till to delight
Thou have paid thy utmost blessing;
Since that all things thou wouldst praise
Beauty took from those who loved them
In other days.
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Text Authorship:
- by Walter De la Mare (1873 - 1956), "Fare well", appears in The Sunken Garden and Other Poems, 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 Joseph W. Baber (b. 1937), "Fare well", op. 12 no. ? [ high voice and piano ], from Songs from English Poets [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edward Toner Cone (b. 1917), "Fare well" [ satb chorus and string quartet ], from Around the year [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ivor (Bertie) Gurney (1890 - 1937), "Fare well" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robin Holloway (b. 1943), "Fare well", op. 19 no. ? (1972) [ baritone and piano ], from Georgian Songs [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "Fare Well", op. 14 (1943) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-01-13
Line count: 24
Word count: 125