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Emily Ezust
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A psalm of life

Language: English

Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
  Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
  And things are not what they seem. 

Life is real!  Life is earnest!
  And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
  Was not spoken of the soul. 

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
  Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
  Find us farther than to-day. 

Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
  And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
  Funeral marches to the grave. 

In the world's broad field of battle,
  In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
  Be a hero in the strife! 

Trust no Future, howe'er pleasant!
  Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,--act in the living Present!
  Heart within, and God o'erhead! 

Lives of great men all remind us
  We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
  Footprints on the sands of time;

Footprints, that perhaps another,
  Sailing o'er life's solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
  Seeing, shall take heart again. 

Let us, then, be up and doing,
  With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
  Learn to labor and to wait.
Authorship

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

Date added to the website: 2008-06-22.

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Sheet music:

 * Search sheetmusicplus.com for All things are not what they seem, Life is not an empty dream, Fourths, A quotation, A psalm of life, Tell me not in mournful numbers, Lives of great men, Psalm of life, Life, Footprints on the sands of time, Art song , Lieder, chansons, or works for solo voice
 * Search musicroom.com for All things are not what they seem, Life is not an empty dream, Fourths, A quotation, A psalm of life, Tell me not in mournful numbers, Lives of great men, Psalm of life, Life, Footprints on the sands of time, vocal/choral music

CDs:

 * Search amazon.com for All things are not what they seem, Life is not an empty dream, Fourths, A quotation, A psalm of life, Tell me not in mournful numbers, Lives of great men, Psalm of life, Life, Footprints on the sands of time, art song, Lieder, or chansons
 * Search amazon.ca for All things are not what they seem, Life is not an empty dream, Fourths, A quotation, A psalm of life, Tell me not in mournful numbers, Lives of great men, Psalm of life, Life, Footprints on the sands of time, art song, Lieder, or chansons

Books:

 * The Art of the Song Recital [amazon.com]
 * The Book of Lieder: The Original Texts of Over 1000 Songs [amazon.com]
 * Search amazon.com for art song, Lieder, or chansons
 * Search amazon.ca for art song, lieder, or chansons