Acquainted with the night | I have been one acquainted with the night

by Robert Frost (1874 - 1963)

Acquainted with the night

Language: English

Our translations: GER ITA

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.

Text 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):

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