The poison tree

I was angry with my friend:
I told my wrath, my wrath did end.
I was angry with my foe:
I told it not, my wrath did grow.

And I water'd it in fears,
Night & morning with my tears;
And I sunned it with smiles,
And with soft deceitful wiles.

And it grew both day and night,
Till it bore an apple bright.
And my foe beheld it shine,
And he knew that it was mine.

And into my garden stole
When the night had veil'd the pole,
In the morning glad I see
My foe outstretch'd beneath the tree.

by William Blake (1757-1827) , "The poison tree", from Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 21, 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 William Alwyn (1905-1985) , "The poison tree", 1933, from Songs of Experience, no. 2.
by George Antheil (1900-1959) , "A poison tree", 1948, from Songs of Experience, no. 2.
by (Thomas) Athanasios Aronis (1935-) , "A poison tree", from Blake Song Cycle, no. 7.
by William Bolcom (1938-) , "A poison tree", 1956-81 [soloists, madrigal group, chorus, orchestra], from Songs of Experience, Volume One, no. 14.
by Hayg Boyadjian (1938-) , "A poison tree", 1978 [soprano, flute, clarinet, percussion, piano, violin, cello and bass], from Song Cycle on Poems of William Blake, no. 2.
by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) , "A poison tree", op. 74 no. 6, from Songs and Proverbs of William Blake, no. 6.
by Sharon Davis (1937-) , "A poison tree", 1979.
by David Stevenson Kechley , "A poison tree", 1974, from Faint Harps and Silver Voices, no. ?
by Masters van Someren-Godfery (-1947) , "A poison apple", published 1952.
by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) , "A poison tree", 1957, published 1958 [voice and oboe], from Ten Blake Songs, no. 2.
by Jim Wise , "A poison tree", published 1964.

FRE French (Guy Laffaille)

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