Chorus: Europe lies in the dark. City and flood and tree; thousands have work'd and work to master necessity. To build the city where the will of love is done and brought to its full flower the dignity of man. Pardon them their mistakes, the impatient and wavering will. They suffer for our sakes, honour, honour them all. Honour, honour them all. Dry their imperfect dust, the wind blows it back and forth, they die to make man just and worthy of the earth.
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Text Authorship:
- by W. H. (Wystan Hugh) Auden (1907 - 1973) [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):
- [ None yet in the database ]
The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:
- by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Recitative and Choral", op. 14 no. 3, published 1939 [ tenor or soprano solo, chorus, and orchestra ], from Ballad of Heroes, no. 3
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-04-04
Line count: 18
Word count: 83