Creation (Holst, set by G. Holst) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


Then, Life was not!
Non-life was not!
No vast expanse of air,
Nor vaster realm of sky that lies beyond.
Was water there, the deep abyss of ocean?
Then, Death was not!
Non-death was not!
No change of day and night.
And, cov'ring all, the gloom was lost in gloom.
All was unseen, One universe unknown.
Then there was One! One alone!
Calm and self-existing:
Beyond and apart was naught.
Then up rose Desire,
Fierce glowing Desire.
The seed of spirit,
The germ of mind,
The source of life,
Begetting mighty forces,
All heaved in restless motion.
Who then knows,
Who can now declare
Whence cometh creation?
He the Primal One whose
Eye controlleth all things,
He alone doth know it,
Or perchance even 
He knoweth it not!

Input by Geoffrey Wieting

Authorship

Gustav Holst (1874-1934)

Based on

text

Bible or other Sacred Texts

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

Gustav Holst (1874-1934)

Vedic Hymns

Date added to the website: 2003-11-24.

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