by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674)
Upon a black twist rounding the arm of the Countess of Carlisle
Language: English
I saw about her spotless wrist, Of blackest silk, a curious twist ; Which, circumvolving gently, there Enthrall'd her arm as prisoner. Dark was the jail, but as if light Had met t'engender with the night ; Or so as darkness made a stay To show at once both night and day. One fancy more ! but if there be Such freedom in captivity, I beg to love that ever I May in like chains of darkness lie.
Text Authorship:
- by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674), "Upon a black twist rounding the arm of the Countess of Carlisle" [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 Michael Purves-Smith (b. 1945), "Upon a black twist rounding the arm of the Countess of Carlisle", 2001 [mezzo-soprano, clarinet in A and B flat, and piano], from Contrasts in Love, no. 1. [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2013-09-14
Line count: 12
Word count: 75