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by Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892)

Out of the rolling ocean the crowd came...
Language: English 
Out of the rolling ocean the crowd came a drop gently to me,
Whispering, I love you, before long I die,
I have travell'd a long way merely to look on you to touch you,
For I could not die till I once look'd on you,
For I fear'd I might afterward lose you.

Now we have met, we have look'd, we are safe,
Return in peace to the ocean my love,
I too am part of that ocean, my love, we are not so much separated,
Behold the great rondure, the cohesion of all, how perfect!
But as for me, for you, the irresistible sea is to separate us,
As for an hour carrying us diverse, yet cannot carry us diverse forever;
Be not impatient -- a little space  -- 
  know you I salute the air, the ocean and the land,
Every day at sundown for your dear sake, my love.

About the headline (FAQ)

Portions of this text were used in Idyll by Frederick Delius.


Text Authorship:

  • by Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892), no title [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 Marshall Rutgers Kernochan (1880 - 1955), "Out of the rolling ocean", published 1908, orchestrated 1932 [medium voice and piano], Boston: C. W. Thompson [ sung text not verified ]
  • by Christos Vrionides (1894 - 1961), "Out of the rolling ocean the crowd", published 1940 [SSAA chorus a cappella], New York: M. Baron [ sung text not verified ]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-01-31
Line count: 14
Word count: 150

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