by Robert Browning (1812 - 1889)
Never the time and the place
Language: English
Never the time and the place And the loved one all together! This path -- how soft to pace! This May -- what magic weather! Where is the loved one's face? In a dream that loved one's face meets mine, But the house is narrow, the place is bleak Where, outside, rain and wind combine With a furtive ear, if I strive to speak, With a hostile eye at my flushing cheek, With a malice that marks each word, each sign! O enemy sly and serpentine, Uncoil thee from the waking man! Do I hold the Past Thus firm and fast Yet doubt if the Future hold I can? This path so soft to pace shall lead Through the magic of May to herself indeed! Or narrow if needs the house must be, Outside are the storms and strangers: we -- Oh, close, safe, warm, sleep I and she, I and she.
Authorship:
- by Robert Browning (1812 - 1889), "Never the time and the place", appears in Jocoseria, first published 1883 [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 Granville Ransome Bantock, Sir (1868 - 1946), "Never the time and the place", 1921, published 1922 [voice and piano], from Dramatic Lyrics Set III, no. 2. [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-02-26
Line count: 21
Word count: 149