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Dark is the night, The fire burns faint and low, Hours -- days -- years, Into grey ashes go; I strive to read, But sombre is the glow. Thumbed are the pages, And the print is small; Mocking the winds That from the darkness call; Feeble the fire that lends Its light withal. O ghost, draw nearer; Let thy shadowy hair Blot out the pages That we cannot share; Be ours the one last leaf By Fate left bare! Let's Finis scrawl, And then Life's book put by; Turn each to each In all simplicity: Ere the last flame is gone To warm us by.
Authorship
- by Walter De la Mare (1873 - 1956), "Vigil", appears in Motley and Other Poems, first published 1918 [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 (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Vigil", published 1969 [voice and piano], from Tit for tat, no. 4. [text verified 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , title 1: "Veille", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , title 1: "Wache", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 103
Sombre est la nuit, Le feu brûle faiblement, doucement, Après des heures, des jours, des années, Se transforme en cendres grises ; Je m'efforce de lire, Mais la lueur est sombre. Les pages sont écornées Et c'est écrit petit ; Les vents moqueurs Appellent depuis l'obscurité ; Le feu faible qui accorde En outre sa lumière. Ô esprit, viens plus près ; Que ta chevelure vague Masque les pages Que nous ne pouvons pas partager ; Que notre dernière page soit Laissée vide par le destin ! Gribouillons Fin, Et puis mettons de côté le livre de la vie ; Tournons-nous l'un vers l'autre En toute simplicité : Avant que ne parte la dernière flamme Pour nous réchauffer.
Authorship
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2011 by Guy Laffaille, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact:
- a text in English by Walter De la Mare (1873 - 1956), "Vigil", appears in Motley and Other Poems, first published 1918
This text was added to the website: 2011-06-29
Line count: 24
Word count: 118