by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894)
Travel
Language: English
I should like to rise and go Where the golden apples grow; -- Where below another sky Parrot islands anchored lie, And, watched by cockatoos and goats, Lonely Crusoes building boats; -- Where in sunshine reaching out Eastern cities, miles about, Are with mosque and minaret Among sandy gardens set, And the rich goods from near and far Hang for sale in the bazaar; -- Where the Great Wall round China goes, And on one side the desert blows, And with the voice and bell and drum, Cities on the other hum; -- Where are forests hot as fire, Wide as England, tall as a spire, Full of apes and cocoa-nuts And the negro hunters' huts; -- Where the knotty crocodile Lies and blinks in the Nile, And the red flamingo flies Hunting fish before his eyes; -- Where in jungles near and far, Man-devouring tigers are, Lying close and giving ear Lest the hunt be drawing near, Or a comer-by be seen Swinging in the palanquin; -- Where among the desert sands Some deserted city stands, All its children, sweep and prince, Grown to manhood ages since, Not a foot in street or house, Not a stir of child or mouse, And when kindly falls the night, In all the town no spark of light. There I'll come when I'm a man With a camel caravan; Light a fire in the gloom Of some dusty dining room; See the pictures on the walls, Heroes, fights and festivals; And in a corner find the toys Of the old Egyptian boys.
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Louis Stevenson (1850 - 1894), "Travel", appears in A Child's Garden of Verses, first published 1885 [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 Daniel Protheroe (1866 - 1934), "Travel", published 1920 [ unaccompanied voice ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-12-08
Line count: 46
Word count: 253