Song Cycle by Sergius Kagen (1909-1964)

?. Pain has an element of blank

Authorship

by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) , no title, from Poems of Emily Dickinson, published 1890

See other settings of this text

Pain has an element of blank;
It cannot recollect
When it began, or if there were
A day when it was not.

It has no future but itself,
Its infinite realms contain
Its past, enlightened to perceive
New periods of pain.

?. I felt a cleavage in my mind

Authorship

by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) , no title, from Poems by Emily Dickinson, published 1896

See other settings of this text

I felt a [cleavage]1 in my mind
As if my brain had split;
I tried to match it seam by seam,
But could not make it fit.

The thought behind I strove to join
Unto the thought before
But sequence ravelled out of reach
Like balls upon a floor.

?. Mine enemy is growing old

Authorship

by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) , no title, from Poems by Emily Dickinson, published 1891

Mine enemy is growing old, -
I have at last revenge.
The palate of the hate departs;
If any would avenge, -

Let him be quick, the viand flits,
It is a faded meat.
Anger as soon as fed is dead;
'T is starving makes it fat.

?. Much madness is divinest sense

Authorship

by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) , no title, from Poems of Emily Dickinson, published 1890

See other settings of this text

Much madness is divinest sense
To [a]1 discerning eye;
Much sense the starkest madness.
'Tis the majority
In this, as all, prevails.
Assent, and you are sane,
Demur, - you're straightaway dangerous,
And handled with a chain.

?. The right to perish

Authorship

by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) , no title, from The Single Hound, published 1914

The right to perish might be thought
An undisputed right,
Attempt it, and the Universe upon the opposite
Will concentrate its officers -
You cannot even die,
But Nature and Mankind must pause
To pay you scrutiny.

?. Remorse is memory awake

Authorship

by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) , no title, from Poems by Emily Dickinson, published 1891

Remorse is memory awake,
Her companies astir, -
A presence of departed acts
At window and at door.

It's past set down before the soul,
And lighted with a match,
Perusal to facilitate
Of its condensed despatch.

Remorse is cureless, - the disease
Not even God can heal;
For 't is his institution, -
The complement of hell.

?. From Blank to Blank

Authorship

by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) , no title, from Further poems of Emily Dickinson, copyright © 1929

See other settings of this text

From Blank to Blank
 [ ... ]

?. My God, what is a heart?

Authorship

sometimes misattributed to Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)
by George Herbert (1593-1633) , "Mattens", from The Temple, published 1633

I Cannot ope mine eyes,
            But thou art ready there to catch
            My morning-soul and sacrifice:
Then we must needs for that day make a match.

		            My God, what is a heart?
            Silver, or gold, or precious stone,
            Or starre, or rainbow, or a part
Of all these things, or all of them in one?
	
		            My God, what is a heart?
            That thou shouldst it so eye, and wooe,
            Powring upon it all thy art,
As if that thou hadst nothing els to do?

		            Indeed mans whole estate
            Amounts (and richly) to serve thee:
            He did not heav'n and earth create,
Yet studies them, not him by whom they be.

		            Teach me thy love to know;
            That this new light, which now I see,
            May both the work and workman show:
Then by a sunne-beam I will climbe to thee.

Search/Shop for

Sheet music:

  Search sheetmusicplus.com for The Mob Within the Heart, Art song , Lieder, chansons, or works for solo voice
  Search musicroom.com for The Mob Within the Heart, vocal/choral music

CDs:

  Search amazon.com for The Mob Within the Heart, art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for The Mob Within the Heart, art song, Lieder, or chansons

Books:

  The Art of the Song Recital [amazon.com]
  The Book of Lieder: The Original Texts of Over 1000 Songs [amazon.com]
  Search amazon.com for art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for art song, lieder, or chansons

Classical Vocal Repertoire