The angel

I dreamt a dream! what can it mean?
And that I was a maiden Queen,
Guarded by an Angel mild:
Witless woe was ne'er beguil'd! 

And I wept both night and day,
And he wip'd my tears away,
And I wept both day and night,
And hid from him my heart's delight.

So he took his wings and fled;
Then the morn blush'd rosy red;
I dried my tears, and arm'd my fears
With ten thousand shields and spears.

Soon my Angel came again:
I was arm'd, he came in vain;
For the time of youth was fled,
And grey hairs were on my head.

by William Blake (1757-1827) , "The angel", from Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 11, published 1794

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

by Rodney Ash (1931-) , "The angel", 1972, from Songs of Experience, no. 3.
by William Bolcom (1938-) , "The angel", 1956-81 [soloists, madrigal group, chorus, orchestra], from Songs of Experience, Volume One, no. 15.
by Rutland Boughton (1878-1960) , "Maiden's song", published 1928. [voice and piano]
by James D'Angelo (1939-) , "The angel", 1964. [soprano and piano]
by Benjamin Lees (1924-) , "The angel", published 1968 [alto and piano], from Three Songs, no. ?
by Leif Segerstam (1944-) , "The angel", 1970-1. [soprano and orchestra (with specifications)]
by Carl Paul Vollrath (1931-) , "The angel", 1963, first performed 1963 [soprano or tenor and piano], from Five Short Songs by William Blake, no. ?

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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