Out of the mid-wood's twilight
Into the meadow's dawn,
Ivory limbed and brown-eyed,
Flashes my Faun!

He skips through the copses singing,
And his shadow dances along,
And I know not which I should follow,
Shadow or song!

O Hunter, snare me his shadow!
O Nightingale, catch me his strain!
Else moonstruck with music and madness
I track him in vain!

About the headline (FAQ)

First published in Lady's Pictorial, Christmas Number 1889

Authorship:

• by Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900), "In the forest" [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 Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "In the forest", 2009 [ baritone and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Emma Lou Diemer (b. 1927), "Out of the mid-wood's twilight", 1984, published 1989 [ SATB chorus and piano ], from Three Poems by Oscar Wilde, no. 3, Carl Fischer [sung text not yet checked]
• by Isadore Freed (1900 - 1960), "In the forest", published <<1940 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Francis George Scott (1880 - 1958), "Idyll", 1913 [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Edwin Tilden , "In the forest", published 1891 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
• by Chee Yean Wong (b. 1979), "In the Forest" [ voice and piano ], from Five Songs, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Melvin Wyble , "In the forest", published <<1940 [ 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: 12
Word count: 61