by Mary Ann Evans (1819 - 1880), as George Eliot
Maiden, crowned with glossy blackness
Language: English
Maiden, crowned with glossy blackness,
Lithe as panther forest-roaming,
Long-armed naiad, when she dances
On a stream of ether floating, --
Bright, O bright Fedalma!
Form all curves like softness drifted,
Wave-kissed marble roundly dimpling,
Far-off music slowly wingèd,
Gently rising, gently sinking, --
Bright, O bright Fedalma!
Pure as rain-tear on a rose-leaf,
Cloud high-born in noonday spotless
Sudden perfect [as]1 the dew-bead,
Gem of earth and sky begotten, --
Bright, O bright Fedalma!
Beauty has no mortal father,
Holy light her form engendered,
Out of tremor, yearning, gladness,
Presage sweet, and joy remembered, --
Child of light, Fedalma!
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Text Authorship:
- by Mary Ann Evans (1819 - 1880), as George Eliot, no title, appears in The Spanish Gypsy, first published 1868 [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 Charles Villiers Stanford, Sir (1852 - 1924), "Bright, o bright Fedalma", op. 1 no. 7, published 1878 [ voice and piano ], from Eight songs from "The Spanish Gypsy", no. 7 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 97