by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894)
Hollow‑sounding and mysterious
Language: English
Chosen for Diff
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 cantata The Leaves Cry, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2012-02-19
Line count: 34
Word count: 101