Night covers up the rigid land
and ocean's quaking moor,
and shadows with a tolerant hand
the ugly and the poor.
The wounded pride for which I weep
you cannot staunch, nor I
control the moments of your sleep,
nor hear the name you cry,
Whose life is lucky in your eyes,
and precious is the bed
as to his utter fancy lies
the dark caressive head.
For each love to its aim is true,
and all kinds seek their own;
you love your life and I love you,
so I must lie alone.
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Text Authorship:
- by W. H. (Wystan Hugh) Auden (1907 - 1973), appears in Look, Stranger!, first published 1936 [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 Lennox Randal Francis Berkeley, Sir (1903 - 1989), "Night covers up the rigid land", op. 14 no. 2a, published 1939 [ medium voice and piano ], from Five Songs, op. 14 no. 2, no. 1, London, Winthrop Rogers [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Night covers up the rigid land" [ high voice and piano ], from Fish in the unruffled lakes : Six Auden Settings for High Voice and Piano, no. 2, note: collected into one publication in 1997 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Chester Duncan (1913 - 2002), "Night covers up the rigid land", 1940 [ baritone and piano ], from Five songs [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2011-06-22
Line count: 16
Word count: 94