by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861)
Tears
Language: English
Thank God, bless God, all ye who suffer not More grief than ye can weep for. That is well-- That is light grieving ! lighter, none befell Since Adam forfeited the primal lot. Tears ! what are tears ? The babe weeps in its cot, The mother singing, at her marriage-bell The bride weeps, and before the oracle Of high-faned hills the poet has forgot Such moisture on his cheeks. Thank God for grace, Ye who weep only ! If, as some have done, Ye grope tear-blinded in a desert place And touch but tombs,--look up I those tears will run Soon in long rivers down the lifted face, And leave the vision clear for stars and sun.
Authorship:
- by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), "Tears", appears in Poems, Volume I, first published 1844 [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 Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875 - 1912), "Tears", op. 42 no. 2, published 1900 [ alto and orchestra or piano ], from The Soul's Expression, no. 2, London: Novello [sung text not yet checked]
- by Guchaninow , "Tears", 1916? [sung text not yet checked]
- by Russell G. Harris (b. 1914), "Tears", 1944 [ high voice, 2 violins, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, cymbals, and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-04-21
Line count: 14
Word count: 118