by Kevin John William Crossley-Holland (b. 1941)
Sun and moon
Language: English
I saw a strange creature, A bright ship of the air beautifully adorned, Bearing away plunder beneath her horns, Fetching it home from foray. She was minded to build a bower in her stronghold, And construct it with cunning if she could do so. But then a mighty creature appeared over the mountain Whose face is familiar to all dwellers on earth; He seized on his treasure and sent home the wanderer Much against her will; she went westward Harbouring hostility, hastening forth. Dust lifted to heaven, dew fell on the earth, Night fled hence; and no man knew Thereafter where the strange creature had gone. And the answer: Sun and Moon.
Text Authorship:
- by Kevin John William Crossley-Holland (b. 1941), "Sun and moon", 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), "Sun and moon", published 1964, first performed 1963 [ baritone and instrumental ensemble ], from A knot of riddles, no. 7 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 15
Word count: 112