I have been one acquainted with the night. I have walked out in rain -- and back in rain. I have outwalked the furthest city light. I have looked down the saddest city lane. I have passed by the watchman on his beat And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain. I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet When far away an interrupted cry Came over houses from another street, But not to call me back or say good-bye; And further still at an unearthly height, One luminary clock against the sky Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right. I have been one acquainted with the night.
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Authorship:
- by Robert Frost (1874 - 1963), "Acquainted with the night", appears in West-Running Brook, first published 1928 [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 John Woods Duke (1899 - 1984), "Acquainted with the night", 1950 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arnold Freed (b. 1926), "Acquainted with the night", published 1965 [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Mitchell (b. 1941), "Acquainted with the night", op. 48 no. 4 (1982) [ mezzo-soprano, cello, and piano ], from Five Poems by Robert Frost, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Walter A. Aue) , "Mit der Nacht vertraut", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 109