by Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900)
Her ivory hands on the ivory keys
Language: English
Her ivory hands on the ivory keys Strayed in a fitful fantasy, Like the silver gleam when the poplar trees Rustle their pale leaves listlessly, Or the drifting foam of a restless sea When the waves show their teeth in the flying breeze. Her gold hair fell on the wall of gold Like the delicate gossamer tangles spun On the burnished disk of the marigold, Or the sun-flower turning to meet the sun When the gloom of the [jealous]1 night is done, And the spear of the lily is aureoled. And her sweet red lips on these lips of mine Burned like the ruby fire set In the swinging lamp of a crimson shrine, Or the bleeding wounds of the pomegranate, Or the heart of the lotus drenched and wet With the spilt-out blood of the rose-red wine.
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Text Authorship:
- by Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), "In the Gold Room: a Harmony", from Poems, first published 1881 [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 Elaine Fine (b. 1959), "In the Gold Room", 2009 [ mezzo-soprano, flute or cello, piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Eric Donald McKenzie , "In the Gold Room", 1955 [ soprano and string quartet ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bernard Rogers (1893 - 1968), "In the Gold Room", 1924 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-09-18
Line count: 18
Word count: 138