by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892)
Fair ship, that from the Italian shore
Language: English
Fair ship, that from the Italian shore Sailest the placid ocean-plains With my lost Arthur's loved remains, Spread thy full wings, and waft him o'er. So draw him home to those that mourn In vain; a favourable speed Ruffle thy mirror'd mast, and lead Thro' prosperous floods his holy urn. All night no ruder air perplex Thy sliding keel, till Phosphor, bright As our pure love, thro' early light Shall glimmer on the dewy decks. Sphere all your lights around, above; Sleep, gentle heavens, before the prow; Sleep, gentle winds, as he sleeps now, My Friend, the brother of my love; My Arthur, whom I shall not see Till all my widow'd race be run; Dear as the mother to the son, More than my brothers are to me.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892), no title, written 1849, appears in In Memoriam A. H. H. obiit MDCCCXXXIII, no. 9, first published 1850 [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 Jonathan Dove (b. 1959), "Fair Ship", 2017 [ tenor and piano ], from Under Alter'd Skies, no. 1, confirmed with a concert programme booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Augusta Read Thomas (b. 1964), "Fair ship, that from the Italian shore", 2000, first performed 2000 [ soprano, large SATB chorus, and orchestra ], from Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-07-19
Line count: 20
Word count: 129