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by Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928)

Life laughs onward
Language: English 
Rambling I looked for an old abode
Where, years back, one had lived I knew;
Its site a dwelling duly showed,
But it was new.

I went where, not so long ago,
The sod had riven two breasts asunder;
Daisies throve gaily there, as though
No grave were under.

I walked along a terrace where
Loud children gambolled in the sun:
The figure that had once sat there
Was missed by none.

Life laughed and moved on unsubdued,
I saw that Old succumbed to Young:
'Twas well my too regretful mood
Died on my tongue.

Text Authorship:

  • by Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928), "Life laughs onward", appears in Moments of Vision and Miscellaneous Verses, first published 1917 [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 Gerald Finzi (1901 - 1956), "Life laughs onward", op. 19a no. 7, published 1958 [ voice and piano ], from Till Earth Outwears, no. 7 [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 95

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