by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882)
Somewhat back from the village street
Language: English
Somewhat back from the village street Stands the old-fashioned country-seat. Across its antique portico Tall poplar-trees their shadows throw; And from its station in the hall An ancient timepiece says to all, -- "Forever -- never! Never -- forever!" Half-way up the stairs it stands, And points and beckons with its hands From its case of massive oak, Like a monk, who, under his cloak, Crosses himself, and sighs, alas! With sorrowful voice to all who pass, -- "Forever -- never! Never -- forever!" By day its voice is low and light; But in the silent dead of night, Distinct as a passing footstep's fall, It echoes along the vacant hall, Along the ceiling, along the floor, And seems to say, at each chamber-door, -- "Forever -- never! Never -- forever!" Through days of sorrow and of mirth, Through days of death and days of birth, Through every swift vicissitude Of changeful time, unchanged it has stood, And as if, like God, it all things saw, It calmly repeats those words of awe, -- "Forever -- never! Never -- forever!" In that mansion used to be Free-hearted Hospitality; His great fires up the chimney roared; The stranger feasted at his board; But, like the skeleton at the feast, That warning timepiece never ceased, -- "Forever -- never! Never -- forever!" There groups of merry children played, There youths and maidens dreaming strayed; O precious hours! O golden prime, And affluence of love and time! Even as a Miser counts his gold, Those hours the ancient timepiece told, -- "Forever -- never! Never -- forever!" From that chamber, clothed in white, The bride came forth on her wedding night; There, in that silent room below, The dead lay in his shroud of snow; And in the hush that followed the prayer, Was heard the old clock on the stair, -- "Forever -- never! Never -- forever!" All are scattered now and fled, Some are married, some are dead; And when I ask, with throbs of pain. "Ah! when shall they all meet again?" As in the days long since gone by, The ancient timepiece makes reply, -- "Forever -- never! Never -- forever! Never here, forever there, Where all parting, pain, and care, And death, and time shall disappear, -- Forever there, but never here! The horologe of Eternity Sayeth this incessantly, -- "Forever -- never! Never -- forever!"
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Text Authorship:
- by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882), "The old clock on the stairs", appears in The Belfry of Bruges and Other Poems, first published 1846 [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 Frances Allitsen (1848 - 1912), "Old clock on the stairs", published 1896 [ voice and piano ], London & New York: Boosey & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Blockley (1800 - 1882), "The old clock on the stairs" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Francis Boott (1813 - 1904), "The old clock on the stairs", published 1886 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by T. Bricher , "The old clock on the stairs", published 1846 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John George Callcott (1821 - 1895), "The old clock on the stairs" [ partsong for satb chorus and piano ad libitum ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Catherine Jane Carew, Lady (1798 - 1901), "The old clock on the stairs" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ellen Dickson (1819 - 1878), as Dolores, "The old clock on the stairs", published 1854 [ voice and piano ], London: Charles Jefferys [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Liptrot Hatton (1809 - 1886), "The old clock on the stairs", published 184-? [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edward Laurence Hime (b. 1823), "The old clock on the stairs" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Wallace Hutchinson (1821 - 1908), "The old clock on the stairs", published 1891 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Agnes Landon , "The old clock on the stairs" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Maria Lindsay (flourished 1855-1875), "The old clock on the stairs" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Leonard Babbidge Marshall (1847 - ?), "The old timepiece on the stairs", published >>1857 [sung text not yet checked]
- by George W. Marston (1840 - 1901), "Old clock on the stairs", published 1881 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Henry Montgomery (1811? - 1886), "The old clock on the stairs" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Frederic Henry Pease (1839 - 1909), "The old clock on the stairs", published 1876 [ vocal quartet and mixed chorus ], cantata [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert August Stöpel (1821 - 1887), "The old clock on the stairs", published 186-? [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Marie Trannack , "The old clock", published 1891 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Michael Watson (1840 - 1889), "The old timepiece" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-06-20
Line count: 72
Word count: 371