Longing

Come to me in my dreams, and then
By day I shall be well again!
For then the night will more than pay
The hopeless longing of the day.

Come, as thou cam'st a thousand times,
A messenger from radiant climes,
And smile on thy new world, and be
As kind to all the rest as me.

Or, as thou never cam'st in sooth,
Come now, and let me dream it truth;
And part my hair, and kiss my brow,
And say: My love! why suff'rest thou? 

Come to me in my dreams, and then
By day I shall be well again!
For then the night will more than pay
The hopeless longing of the day.

by Matthew Arnold (1822-1888) , "Longing", from Empedocles on Etna, and Other Poems, published 1852

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

by Charles Ainslie Barry (1830-1915) , "Come to me in my dreams", published c1869. [voice, piano]
by Helen Benner , "Longing", published 1939. [medium voice, piano]
by Frank Bridge (1879-1941) , "Come to me in my dreams", published 1918. [voice, piano]
by Noble Cain (1896-1977) , "Longing", published <<1940. [voice, piano]
by Bonita Crowe , "Longing", published <<1940. [voice, piano]
by Mark Fax , "Longing", published 1968. [voice, piano]
by Frederick Keel (1871-1954) , "Longing", published 1921 [voice and piano], from Two songs, no. ?
by (William Frances) Lawrence Kellie (1862-1932) , "Come to me in my dreams", published 1907. [voice, piano]
by Gustav Klemm (1897-1947) , "Come to me in my dreams", published <<1940. [voice, piano]
by Anthony Paganucci , "Longing", published 1930. [high voice, piano]
by Paul Amadeus Pisk (1893-) , "Longing", 1938-9 [voice, piano], from 6 Songs
by Sir Arthur Somervell (1863-1937) , "Come to me in my dreams", published <<1940. [voice, piano]
by Cyril V. Taylor (1907-) , "Longing", published 1935. [medium or high voice, piano]
by Maude Valérie White (1855-1937) , "Come to me in my dreams", published 1888. [voice, piano]

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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