by Kevin John William Crossley-Holland (b. 1941)
My breast is puffed up and my neck...
Language: English
My breast is puffed up and my neck extended; I've a fine head and a high waving tail; Ears and eyes too, but only one foot; A long neck, a strong beak, a back and Two sides, and a rod right through my middle. My home is high above men. When he who moves The forest molests me, I suffer a great deal of misery. Scourged by the rainlash, I stand alone; I'm bruised by heavy batteries of hail, Hoar frost attacks and snow half hides me. I must endure all this, not pour out my misery. The answer is: A Weathercock.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Kevin John William Crossley-Holland (b. 1941), "Weathercock", after the Old English of The Exeter Book. [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):
- by Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss, Sir (1891 - 1975), "A weather cock", published 1964, first performed 1963 [ baritone and instrumental ensemble ], from A knot of riddles, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 102