Alone | The moon's greygolden meshes make

by James Joyce (1882 - 1941)

The moon's greygolden meshes make

Language: English

Our translations: FRE GER

The moon's greygolden meshes make
All night a veil,
The shorelamps in the sleeping lake
Laburnum tendrils trail. 

The sly reeds whisper to the night
A name -- her name --
And all my soul is a delight,
A swoon of shame.

About the headline (FAQ)

First published in Poetry, 1917

Text Authorship:

by James Joyce (1882 - 1941), "Alone", written 1916, appears in Pomes Penyeach, no. 10 [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 Carlos Botto Vallarino (1923 - 2004), "The moon's greygolden meshes", op. 12 no. 4 (1959-60) [ soprano and piano ], from Songs of Love and Solitude (Poemas de amor y soledad), no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
by Brian Boydell (1917 - 2000), "Alone", 1941 [ baritone and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Edgardo Carducci (1898 - 1967), "Alone", published 1933 [ voice and piano ], from The Joyce Book, no. 10 [sung text checked 1 time]
by David Del Tredici (1937 - 2023), "Alone", 1959, rev. 1978, first performed 1983, from Two Songs on Poems of James Joyce, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Robin Field (b. 1935), "The moon's greygolden meshes make", 1967 [ tenor, oboe, and string quartet ], from The sly reeds whisper [sung text not yet checked]
by John Gruen (b. 1927), "Alone" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Jack Marius Jarrett (b. 1934), "Alone", 1964 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], from The Unquiet Heart [sung text not yet checked]
by Donald James Martino (1931 - 2005), "Alone", published 1970 [ soprano or baritone or tenor, and piano ], from Three songs, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
by Rick Sowash (b. 1950), "Alone", 1973 [ SATB chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 40