by Sara Teasdale (1884 - 1933)
If there is any life when death is over
Language: English
If there is any life when death is over,
These tawny beaches will know much of me,
I shall come back, as constant and as changeful
As the unchanging, many-colored sea.
If life was small, if it has made me scornful,
Forgive me; I shall straighten like a flame
In the great calm of death, and if you want me
Stand on the sea-ward dunes and call my name.
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Text Authorship:
- by Sara Teasdale (1884 - 1933), "On the dunes", appears in Flame and Shadow, first published 1920 [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 John Woods Duke (1899 - 1984), "On the dunes", 1961 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Rupert Hughes (1872 - 1956), "The sun-swept dunes", published 1920 [ voice and piano ], from Four Meditations [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-06-04
Line count: 8
Word count: 69