The ocean wood (Tabley, set by W. Alwyn) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


Gray woods within whose silent shade
The ocean voice is dimly known:
Where undisturbed the violets fade,
And roses perish overblown;
Calm rests the wave against the beach
Calm rocks the wave-bird on its tide,
And calmer in their heaven that each,
The gleaming bands of sunset ride.
Soon will the ripple move again:
Soon will the shore-lark flute its song:
And in sweet emphasis of pain
The rock-dove mourn the cliffs along.
Sweet shall resound the curlew's wail
New sails come sweeping up the sea.
But all the ships that ever sail
Will bring no comfort home to me.

Authorship

Warren John Byrne Leicester, Baron de Tabley (1835-1895)

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

William Alwyn (1905-1985)

A leave-taking

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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