by Claude Mckay (1890 - 1948)
A prayer
Language: English
'Mid the discordant noises of the day I hear thee calling; I stumble as I fare along Earth's way; keep me from falling. Mine eyes are open but they cannot see for gloom of night: I can no more than lift my heart to thee for inward light. The wild and fiery passion of my youth consumes my soul; In agony I turn to thee for truth and self-control. For Passion and all the pleasures it can give will die the death; But this of me eternally must live, thy borrowed breath. 'Mid the discordant noises of the day I hear thee calling; I stumble as I fare along Earth's way; keep me from falling.
Text Authorship:
- by Claude Mckay (1890 - 1948), "A prayer", appears in Harlem Shadows, The Poems of Claude McKay, first published 1922 [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 Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "A prayer", 2009 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-02-03
Line count: 10
Word count: 115