It was a long time ago. I have almost forgotten my dream. But it was there then, In front of me, Bright like a sun-- My dream. And then the wall rose, Rose slowly, Slowly, Between me and my dream. Rose slowly, slowly, Dimming, Hiding, The light of my dream. Rose until it touched the sky, The wall. Shadow. I am black. I lie down in the shadow. No longer the light of my dream before me, Above me. Only the thick wall. Only the shadow. My hands! My dark hands! Break through the wall! Find my dream! Help me to shatter this darkness, To smash this night, To break this shadow Into a thousand lights of sun, Into a thousand whirling dreams Of sun!
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
Confirmed with: Mein dunklen Hände. Moderne Negerlyrik in Original und Nachdichtung, herausgegeben und übertragen von Eva Hesse und Paridam von dem Knesebeck, München: Nymphenburger Verlag, 1953, pages 6 and 8.
Text Authorship:
- by Langston Hughes (1902 - 1967), "As I grew older", appears in The Weary Blues, first published 1926 [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 Günter Raphael (1903 - 1960), "As I grew older", published 1965 [ baritone, piano, oboe, and percussion ], from My Dark Hands = Mein dunklen Hände, no. 1, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Paridam von dem Knesebeck (c1911 - 2000) , "Da ich älter wurde", appears in Mein dunklen Hände. Moderne Negerlyrik in Original und Nachdichtung, first published 1953, copyright © and by Eva Hesse (1925 - 2020) , "Da ich älter wurde", appears in Mein dunklen Hände. Moderne Negerlyrik in Original und Nachdichtung, first published 1953, copyright © ; composed by Günter Raphael.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-08-27
Line count: 33
Word count: 125