by Patrick Henry Pearse (1879 - 1916)
Grief on the death, it has blackened my...
Language: English
Grief on the death, it has blackened my heart: It has snatched my low and left me desolate, Without friend or companion under the roof of my house But this sorrow in the midst of me, and I keening. As I walked the mountain in the evening The birds spoke to me sorrowfully, The sweet snipe spoke and the voiceless curlew Relating to me that my darling was dead. I called to you and your voice I heard not, I called again and I got no answer, I kissed your mouth, and O God how cold it was! Ah, cold is your bed in the lonely churchyard. O green-sodded grave in which my child is, Little narrow grave, since you are his bed, My blessing on you, and thousands of blessings On the green sods that are over my treasure. Grief on the death, it cannot be denied, It lays low, green and withered together, -- And O gentle little son, what tortures me is That your fair body should be making clay!
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Text Authorship:
- by Patrick Henry Pearse (1879 - 1916), "A woman of the mountain keens her son" [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 Ned Rorem (1923 - 2022), "Lullaby of the Woman of the Mountain" [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-02-08
Line count: 20
Word count: 172