by W. H. (Wystan Hugh) Auden (1907 - 1973)
Lauds
Language: English
Among the leaves the small birds sing; The crow of the cock commands awaking: In solitude, for company. Bright shines the sun on creatures mortal; Men of their neighbours become sensible: In solitude, for company. The crow of the cock commands awaking; Already the mass-bell goes dong-ding: In solitude, for company. Men of their neighbours become sensible; God bless the Realm, God bless the People: In solitude, for company. Already the mass-bell goes dong-ding; The dripping mill-wheel is again turning: In solitude, for company. God bless the Realm, God bless the People; God bless this green world temporal: In solitude, for company. The dripping mill-wheel is again turning; Among the leaves the small birds sing: In solitude, for company.
Text Authorship:
- by W. H. (Wystan Hugh) Auden (1907 - 1973), "Lauds", appears in The Shield of Achilles, first published 1955 [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 Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley, Sir (1903 - 1989), "Lauds", op. 53 no. 1 (1958), published 1960 [ medium voice and piano ], from Five poems, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Wilfrid Howard Mellers (b. 1914), "Lauds", published 1961 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Ex Nihilo and Lauds, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2013-02-10
Line count: 21
Word count: 119