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by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882)

The day is done, and the darkness
Language: English 
The day is done, and the darkness
  Falls from the wings of Night,
As a feather is wafted downward
  From an eagle in his flight. 
I see the lights of the village
  Gleam through the rain and the mist,
And a feeling of sadness comes o'er me
  That my soul cannot resist: 
A feeling of sadness and longing,
  That is not akin to pain,
And resembles sorrow only
  As the mist resembles the rain. 
Come, read to me some poem,
  Some simple and heartfelt lay,
That shall soothe this restless feeling,
  And banish the thoughts of day. 
Not from the grand old masters,
  Not from the bards sublime,
Whose distant footsteps echo
  Through the corridors of Time. 
For, like strains of martial music,
  Their mighty thoughts suggest
Life's endless toil and endeavor;
  And to-night I long for rest. 
Read from some humbler poet,
  Whose songs gushed from his heart,
As showers from the clouds of summer,
  Or tears from the eyelids start; 
Who, through long days of labor,
  And nights devoid of ease,
Still heard in his soul the music
  Of wonderful melodies. 
Such songs have power to quiet
  The restless pulse of care,
And come like the benediction
  That follows after prayer. 
Then read from the treasured volume
  The poem of thy choice,
And lend to the rhyme of the poet
  The beauty of thy voice. 
And the night shall be filled with music
  And the cares, that infest the day,
Shall fold their tents, like the Arabs,
  And as silently steal away. 

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882), "The day is done", appears in The Belfry of Bruges and Other Poems, first published 1845 [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 George Benjamin Allen (1822 - 1897), "The day is done" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by R. Andrews , "The day is done" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , "The day is done" [ voice and piano ], initials E. W. [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Michael William Balfe (1808 - 1870), "The day is done", published >>1856 [ low voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Beta , "The day is done" [ voice and piano ], from Gems of Longfellow [sung text not yet checked]
  • by John J. Blockley, the Younger , "The day is done" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by O. L. Carter , "The day is done", op. 53, published 1896 [ vocal quartet of female voices a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895 - 1968), "The day is done", op. 149 (Two Longfellow Songs) no. ?, published 1962 [ SATB chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by L. S. Davis , "The day is done", published 1875 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Alfred Robert Gaul (1837 - 1913), "The day is done", published 188-? [ chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by John J. Kinney , "The day is done", published 1878 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Hermann Frederic Löhr (1872 - 1943), "The day is done", published 1908 [ duet for 2 voices with piano and organ ad libitum ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Annie Frances Loud (1856 - ?), "The day is done", published 1882 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by William Harold Neidlinger (1863 - 1924), "Resting", published 1879 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Carl Reinhardt , "The day is done", published 186-? [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Wilhelm Schäffer , "The day is done", published 1932 [ reciter and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by W. C. Sellé , "The day is done" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Henry Thomas Smart (1813 - 1879), "The day is done", published 187-? [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Eliza Williams , "The day is done" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Arthur L. Wood , "The day is done" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • GER German (Deutsch) (Ernst Eckstein) , "Am Abend", subtitle: "(Nach dem Englischen von H.W. Longfellow.)", appears in In Moll und Dur, in 3. Dritte Abtheilung


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-06-09
Line count: 44
Word count: 254

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