Jean Coulthard: Two Night Songs (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


Do you remember an Inn, Miranda?
Do you remember an Inn?
And the tedding
and the spreading
Of the straw for a bedding,
And the fleas
that tease
in the Highly Pyrenees,
And the wine that tasted of the tar?
And the cheers and the jeers,
of the young muleteers
(Under the vine of the dark verandah)...

Do you remember an Inn, Miranda?
Do you remember an Inn?
And the cheers and the jeers,
of the young muleteers
Who hadn't got a penny
And who weren't paying any
And the hammer at the doors and the Din?
And the Hip! Hop! Hap!
Of the clap
Of the hands to the twirl
and the swirl
of the girl
gone chancing,
glancing,
dancing,
backing and advancing,
Snapping of the clapper to the spin
Out and in
And the Ting Tong Tang
of the guitar!

Do you remember an Inn, Miranda?
Do you remember an Inn?
Never more, Miranda,
Never more.
Only the high peaks hoar:
And Aragon a torrent at the door
No sound
In the walls
of the Halls
where falls
the tread of the feet of the dead to the ground,
No sound, no sound:
But the boom
of the watterfall
like Doom.