Song Cycle by Dorian Le Gallienne (1915-1963)

?. At the round earth's imagin'd corners

Authorship

by John Donne (1572-1631) , no title, from Holy Sonnets, no. 7

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At the round earth's imagined corners
blow your trumpets, angels
and arise from death
you numberless infinities of souls
and to your scattered bodies go!

All whom the flood did and fire
shall overthrow
All whom war, death, age, agues, tyrannies,
despair, law, chance hath slain;
And you whose eyes shall behold God

And never taste death's woe,
But let them sleep, Lord, and me mourn [apace]1,
For, if above all these my sins abound,
'Tis late to ask abundance of Thy grace
When we are there.

Here on this lowly ground,
Teach me how to repent, for that's as good
As if Thoud'st sealed my pardon with
Thy blood.

?. Batter my heart

Authorship

by John Donne (1572-1631) , no title, from Holy Sonnets, no. 14

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Batter my heart, three person'd God; for you
As yet but knocke, breathe, shine, and seeke to mend;
That I may rise, and stand, o'erthrow me, and bend
Your force, to breake, blowe, burn and make me new.
I, like an usurpt towne, to another due,
Labour to admit you, but Oh, to no end,
Reason your viceroy in mee, mee should defend
But is captiv'd, and proves weake or untrue.
Yet dearely I love you, and would be loved faine,
But am betroth'd unto your enemie:
Divorce mee, untie, or breake that knot againe,
Take mee to you, imprison mee, for I
Except you enthrall mee, never shall be free,
Nor ever chaste, except you ravish mee.

?. Death be not proud

Authorship

by John Donne (1572-1631) , no title, from Holy Sonnets, no. 10

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Available translations (or transliterations, if applicable):

ITA Italian (Ferdinando Albeggiani)

Death be not proud, though some have called thee
Mighty and dreadfull, for thou art not soe,
For those whom thou think'st thou dost overthrow,
Die not, poore death, nor [yet canst thou]1 kill mee.
From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures be,
Much pleasure; then from thee, much more must flow,
And soonest our best men with thee do goe,
Rest of their bones, and souls deliverie.
Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings and desperate men,
And dost with poyson, warre, and sickness dwell,
And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well 
And better than thy stroake; why swell'st thou then?
One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,
And death shall be no more; Death, thou shalt die.

?. A Hymn to God the Father

Authorship

by John Donne (1572-1631) , "A Hymn to God the Father", 1623

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Wilt thou forgive that sin where I begun,
Which is my sin though it were done before?
Wilt thou forgive [those sins]1, through which I run,
And do run still, though still I do deplore?
When thou hast done, thou hast not done, 
For I have more.

Wilt thou forgive that sin by which [I've]2 won
Others to sin? And make my sin their door?
Wilt thou forgive that sin which I did shun
A year or two: but wallow'd in, a score?
When thou hast done, thou hast not done, 
For I have more.

I have a sin of fear, that when [I've]2 spun
My last thread, I shall perish on the shore;
But swear by thy self, that at my death thy [Son]3 
shall shine as he shines now, and heretofore;
And having done that, thou hast done, 
I fear no more.

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