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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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: 96