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by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894)

Hollow‑sounding and mysterious
Language: English 
There's no replying
To the Wind's sighing,
Telling, foretelling,
Dying, undying,
Dwindling and swelling,
Complaining, droning,
Whistling and moaning,
Ever beginning,
Ending, repeating,
Hinting and dinning,
Lagging and fleeting --
We've no replying
Living or dying
To the Wind's sighing.

What are you telling,
Variable Wind-tone?
What would be teaching,
O sinking, swelling,
Desolate Wind-moan?
Ever for ever
Teaching and preaching,
Never, ah never
Making us wiser --
The earliest riser
Catches no meaning,
The last who hearkens
Garners no gleaning
Of wisdom's treasure,
While the world darkens: --
Living or dying,
In pain, in pleasure,
We've no replying
To wordless flying
Wind's sighing.

Text Authorship:

  • by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894), "Hollow-sounding and mysterious" [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 Robin Holloway (b. 1943), "Hollow-sounding and mysterious", op. 27 no. 3 (1974) [soprano and piano], from the cantata The Leaves Cry, no. 3. [
     text not verified 
    ]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2012-02-19
Line count: 34
Word count: 101

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