Fair sinks the summer evening now (Brontë, set by T. Fisk) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


Fair sinks the summer evening now
In softened glory round my home
The sky upon its holy brow
Wears not a cloud that speaks of gloom

The old tower shrined in golden light
Looks down on the descending sun
So gently evening blends with night
You scarce could say that day is done

And this is just the joyous hour
When we were wont to burst away
To 'scape from labour's tyrant power
And cheerfully go out to play

Then why is all so sad and lone?
No merry footstep on the stair
No laugh no heart awaking tone
But voiceless silence everywhere

I've wandered round our garden ground
And still it seemed at every turn
That I should greet approaching feet
And words upon the breezes borne

In vain they will not come today
And mornings beams will rise as drear
But tell me are they gone for aye
Our sun blinks through the mists of care?

Ah no reproving Hope doth say
Departed joys 'tis fond to mourn
When every storm that hides their ray
Prepares a more [divine]¹ return

View text without footnotes
Note: in the Fisk work, this is sung by Catherine
¹ Bronte: "defiant"

Input by Terry Fisk

Authorship

Emily Brontë (1818-1848)

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

Terry Fisk

Wuthering Heights

Date added to the website: 2004-03-22.

Gentle Reminder

This project is not funded. If you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your gift is greatly appreciated!
- Emily

I also have a wishlist at Amazon.ca.