Over the heather the wet wind blows, I've lice in my tunic and a cold in my nose. The rain comes pattering out of the sky, I'm a Wall soldier, I don't know why. The mist creeps over the hard grey stone, My girl's in Tungria; I sleep alone. Aulus goes hanging around her place, I don't like his manners, I don't like his face. Piso's a Christian, he worships a fish; There'd be no kissing if he had his wish. She gave me a ring but I diced it away; I want my girl and I want my pay. When I'm a veteran with only one eye I shall do nothing but look at the sky.
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Text Authorship:
- by W. H. (Wystan Hugh) Auden (1907 - 1973), "Roman Wall Blues", appears in Another Time, first published 1940 [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 Peter Dickinson (b. 1934), "Over the heather", 1960 [ high male voice and piano ], from Three comic songs, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alex Harvey , "Roman Wall Blues", c1969 [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Reginald Lang-Hyde (1899 - 1990), as Lewis Hyde, "Over the heather", 1951 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-01-14
Line count: 14
Word count: 118