by William Butler Yeats (1865 - 1939)
What woman hugs her infant there?
Language: English
What woman hugs her infant there? Another star has shot an ear. What made the drapery glisten so? Not a man but Delacroix. What made the ceiling waterproof? Landor's tarpaulin on the roof What brushes fly and moth aside? Irving and his plume of pride. What hurries out the knaye and dolt? Talma and his thunderbolt. Why is the woman terror-struck? Can there be mercy in that look?
About the headline (FAQ)
First published in London Mercury, December 1938, revised 1939.Text Authorship:
- by William Butler Yeats (1865 - 1939), "Nativity" [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 Chester Duncan (1913 - 2002), "A nativity", published 1974 [ SSA chorus and piano ], from Then and Now [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-01-20
Line count: 12
Word count: 68