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by Dylan Thomas (1914 - 1953)

In my craft or sullen art
Language: English 
In my craft or sullen art
Exercised in the still night
When only the moon rages
And the lovers lie abed
With all their griefs in their arms,
I labor by singing light
Not for ambition or bread
Or the strut and trade of charms
On the ivory stages
But for the common wages
Of their most secret heart.

Not for the proud man apart
From the raging moon I write
On these spindrift pages
Nor for the towering dead
With their nightingales and psalms
But for the lovers, their arms
Round the griefs of the ages,
Who pay no praise or wages
Nor heed my craft or art.

Text Authorship:

  • by Dylan Thomas (1914 - 1953), "In my craft or sullen art", appears in Deaths and Entrances, first published 1946 [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 Billam (b. 1948), "In my craft or sullen art", from Three Songs, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Wayne L. Davies (b. 1975), "In my craft or sullen art", 2001 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Dylan Thomas Song Cycle, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Peter Dickinson (b. 1934), "In my craft or sullen art", from A Dylan Thomas Song Cycle, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Wolfgang Fortner (1907 - 1987), "In my craft or sullen art", 1970/80 [ voice and piano ], from Lieder aus dem Nachlass, no. 5, Schott Music [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Ernst Widmer (1927 - 1990), "In my craft or sullen art", op. 15 no. 1 (1957), first performed 1958 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Letztes, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-03-18
Line count: 20
Word count: 109

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