Listen! Dear dream of utter aliveness -- Touching my body of utter death -- Tell me, O quickly! dream of aliveness, The flaming source of your bright breath. Tell me, O dream of utter aliveness -- Knowing so well the wind and the sun -- Where is this light Your eyes see forever And what is this wind You touch when you run?
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
Text Authorship:
- by Langston Hughes (1902 - 1967) [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 Henry Dixon Cowell (1897 - 1965), "Demand", L. 935 no. 1 (1964), first performed 1986 [ mezzo-soprano, flute, clarinet, and violoncello ], from Three Songs on Poems of Langston Hughes, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-10-31
Line count: 11
Word count: 59