The rainy day

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary
It rains, and the wind is never weary;
The vine still clings to the mouldr'ng wall,
But at ev'ry gust the dead leaves fall,
And the day is dark and dreary.

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;
It  rains, and the wind is never weary.
My thoughts still cling to the mould'ring Past,
But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,
And the days are dark and dreary.

Be still, sad heart,  and cease repining;
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining;
Thy fate is the common fate of all,
Into each life some rain must fall,
Some days must be dark and dreary.

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) , "The rainy day", from Ballads and Other Poems, published 1842

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

by Mrs. Henry Ames , "The rainy day" [voice and piano]
by Michael William Balfe (1808-1870) , "The rainy day" [voice and piano]
by Sir Joseph Barnby (1838-1896) , "The rainy day"
by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867-1944) , "The rainy day", 1880, published 1883.
by Arthur Henry Behrend (1853-1935) , "The rainy day", published 1878. [voice and piano]
by Alfred Hiles Bergen , "The day is dark and dreary", published 1936. [male voice and piano]
by Francesco Berger (1834-1933) , "The rainy day" [boys' or girls' voices and piano], from Two-Part Songs
by John W. Bischoff (1850-1909) , "The rainy day", published 1886.
by John Blockley (1800-1882) , "The day is cold, and dark and dreary", published >>1858.
by Jacques (Jacob) Blumenthal (1829-1908) , "The rainy day", published 1901. [voice and piano]
by Ludwig Bonvin (1850-1939) , "The rainy day", published 1898 [mezzo-soprano or baritone and piano], from Zwei Lieder, also set in German
by Camille , "The day is dark and dreary", published 1973. [baritone and piano]
by Matthew Clemens , "The rainy day", published 1885 [partsong], from The Choral Handbook, no. 805
by Sir Frederic Hymen Cowen (1852-1935) , "The rainy day", published >>1881.
by William Richardson Dempster (1809-1871) , "The rainy day", published 1847. [voice and piano]
by Victor Despommier , "A rainy day", published 1911. [voice and piano]
by John Lodge Ellerton (1801-1873) , "The day is dark & dreary" [voice and piano]
by A. E. P. Elliott , "The rainy day" [voice and piano]
by Luther Orlando Emerson (1820-1915) , "The rainy day" [mixed chorus]
by Nicolas Flagello (1928-) , "The rainy day", 1958.
by Cecil Armstrong Gibbs (1889-1960) , "The rainy day", op. 4 [voice and piano], unpublished
by Robert Goldbeck (1839-1908) , "The day is cold", published 1870. [baritone or contralto and piano]
by Harold Gorst , "The rainy day" [voice and piano]
by Cordelia Grylls , "The rainy day" [voice and piano]
by R. Ethel Harraden , "The rainy day" [voice and piano]
by W. Harrison , "The rainy day" [voice and piano]
by John Liptrot Hatton (1809-1886) , "The rainy day", published >>1866. [voice and piano]
by Faustina Hasse Hodges (1823-1895) , "The dreary day", published 1860. [medium voice and piano]
by Croshaw Johnson , "Be still sad heart" [voice and piano]
by Myntora J. Lee , "The rainy day" [voice and piano]
by Arthur William Marchant (1850-?) , "The rainy day" [two-part song for women's voices and piano]
by Walter Maynard (1828-1894) , "The rainy day" [voice and piano]
by Katharine Morrow , "The rainy day" [voice and piano]
by Henry Bickford Pasmore (1857-1944) , "The rainy day", published 1880. [voice and piano]
by I. Piaggio , "The rainy day", published 1890.
by Silas Gamaliel Pratt (1846-1916) , "The rainy day", op. 20, published 1872. [SATB quartet, chorus ad libitum, and piano]
by Carl Reinhardt , "The rainy day", published 186-? [voice and piano]
by Hermine Rudersdorff (1822-1882) , "The rainy day", alternate title: "Dark and dreary", published 1873. [voice and piano]
by Robert Shanley , "The rainy day", published 1939. [medium voice and piano]
by Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900) , "The rainy day" [partsong for SATB and piano]
by Felix Gerald Swinstead (1880-1959) , "The rainy day", published 1912. [voice and piano]
by Edward Wiebé , "The rainy day", published 1867.

by Ludwig Bonvin (1850-1939) , "Regentag", published 1898 [mezzo-soprano or baritone and piano], from Zwei Lieder, also set in English

Date added to the website: 2005-08-03.

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