Mutability

The flower that smiles to-day
To-morrow dies;
All that we wish to stay
Tempts and then flies.
What is this world's delight?
Lightning that mocks the night,
Brief even as bright.

Virtue, how frail it is!
Friendship how rare!
Love, how it sells poor bliss
For proud despair!
[But we, though soon they fall,
Survive their joy, and all
Which ours we call.]1

Whilst skies are blue and bright, 
Whilst flowers are gay,
Whilst eyes that change ere night
Make glad the day;
Whilst yet the calm hours creep,
Dream thou -- and from thy sleep
Then wake to weep.

by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822) , "Mutability", published 1824

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

by Creighton Allen (1900-1969) , "Mutability", published 1954, from Shelley Songs, Cycle of Ten Songs, no. 6.
by George Benjamin Arnold , "The flower that smiles", published 1878.
by Sir Granville Ransome Bantock (1868-1946) , "Dreams", published 1938. [a cappella chorus]
by George John Bennett (1863-1930) , "Mutability", published 1886, from Twelve Songs Set to Poems of Shelley and Rossetti, no. 5.
by Arthur C. Berdahl , "Mutability"
by (Henry) Elliot Button (1861-?) , "The flower that smiles today", published 1898. [part-song]
by David Evan Thomas (1958-) , "Mutability", 1994, first performed 1995 [tenor, piano], from Moonlight on a Midnight Stream, no. 7.

by Giorgio Federico Ghedini (1892-1965) , "Mentre azzurri splendono i cieli", 1934, from Tre Canti di Shelley, no. 3.

Date added to the website: 2005-01-24.

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Classical Vocal Repertoire