H. Leslie Adams: The Wider View (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


Cool is the wind, for the summer is waning,
Who's for the road?
Sunflecked and soft,
where the dead leaves are raining,
Who's for the road?

Knapsack and alpenstock press hand and shoulder,
Prick of the brier and roll of the boulder;
This be your lot while the seasons grow older;
Who's for the road?
Up and away in the hush of the morning,
Who's for the road?
Vagabonds we, all conventions ascorning,
Who's for the road?

Music of warblers so merrily singing,
Draughts from the rill from the roadside upspringing,
Nectar of grapes from the vines lowly swinging,
Who's for the road?
Now ev'ry house is a hut or a hovel,
Come to the road!
Mankind and moles in the dark love to grovel,
But to the road.

Throw off the loads that are bending you double;
Love is for life, only labor is trouble;
Truce to the town who's best gift is a bubble:
Come to the road!

2. Homesick blues

Language: English

Authorship

(James Mercer) Langston Hughes (1902-1967)

Fine Clothes to the Jew

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De railroad bridge's a sad song in de air
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3. Li'l' Gal

Language: English

Authorship

Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)

Lyrics of Love and Laughter

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Oh, de weathah it is balmy an' de breeze is sighin' low,
Li'l' gal,
An' de mockin' bird is singin' in de locus by de do',
Li'l' gal;
Dere's a-hummin' an' a-bummin'
in de lan' f'om eas' to wes',
I's a-sighin' fu you, honey, an' I nevah know no res'.
Fu' dey's lots a-trouble brewin'
an' a-stewin' in my breas', Li'l' gal.
Whut's de mattah wid de weathah,
what's de mattah wid de breeze, Li'l gal?
Whut's de mattah wid de locus'
dat's a-singin' in de trees, Li'l' gal?
W'y dey knows dey ladies love `em,
an' dey knows dey love `em true,
An' dey love `em back, I reckon,
des' lak I's a-lovin' you;
Dat's de reason dey's a-weavin'
an' a-sighin' thoo an' thoo, Li'l' gal.
Don't you let no fella fool you
cause de clo'es he waihs is fine, Li'l' gal.
Deys a hones' hea't a-beatin
unnerneaf dese rags o' mine, Li'l' gal.
Co'se dey ain' no use in mockin'
whut de birds an' weathah do.
But I's so'y I can't `spress it
w'en I knows I loves you, true,
Dat's de reason I's a-sighin' an' a-singin' now fu' you, Li'l' gal!

4. Love Come and Gone

Language: English

Authorship

Georgia Douglas Johnson (1880-1966)


Consider me a memory, a dream that passed away
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5. The Wider View

Language: English

Authorship

R. H. Grenville (fl. 1941-58)


In my childhood I was wont
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6. Love Rejoices

Language: English

Authorship

James Dillet Freeman (1912-2003)


I walk alone upon a lonely beach
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