The Nun of Nidaros

In the convent of Drontheim,
Alone in her chamber
Knelt Astrid the Abbess,
At midnight, adoring,
Beseeching, entreating
The Virgin and Mother. 

She heard in the silence
The voice of one speaking,
Without in the darkness,
In gusts of the night-wind,
Now louder, now nearer,
Now lost in the distance. 

The voice of a stranger
It seemed as she listened,
Of some one who answered,
Beseeching, imploring,
A cry from afar off
She could not distinguish. 

The voice of Saint John,
The beloved disciple,
Who wandered and waited
The Master's appearance,
Alone in the darkness,
Unsheltered and friendless. 

"It is accepted
The angry defiance,
The challenge of battle!
It is accepted,
But not with the weapons
Of war that thou wieldest! 

"Cross against corselet,
Love against hatred,
Peace-cry for war-cry!
Patience is powerful;
He that o'ercometh
Hath power o'er the nations! 

"As torrents in summer,
Half dried in their channels,
Suddenly rise, though the
Sky is still cloudless,
For rain has been falling
Far off at their fountains; 

So hearts that are fainting
Grow full to o'erflowing,
And they that behold it
Marvel, and know not
That God at their fountains
Far off has been raining! 

"Stronger than steel
Is the sword of the Spirit;
Swifter than arrows
The light of the truth is,
Greater than anger
Is love, and subdueth! 

"Thou art a phantom,
A shape of the sea-mist,
A shape of the brumal
Rain, and the darkness
Fearful and formless;
Day dawns and thou art not! 

"The dawn is not distant,
Nor is the night starless;
Love is eternal!
God is still God, and
His faith shall not fail us;
Christ is eternal!"

by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) , "The Nun of Nidaros", from Tales of a Wayside Inn, in The Musician's Tale; The Saga of King Olaf, no. 22, published 1863

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

by Dudley Buck (1839-1909) , "The Nun of Nidaros", published 1879. [tenor, male chorus, piano obbligato, reed organ ad libitum]
by Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934) , "As torrents in summer", 1896, stanzas 7-8. [partsong]
by Daniel Protheroe (1866-1934) , "The Nun of Nidaros", op. 63, published 1902 [TTBB chorus and orchestra], also set in Geman (translated by E. Buek)

by Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934) , "Epilogue", op. 30 no. 17, published 1896 [STB soli, SATB chorus, and orchestra], from King Olaf, no. 17.

DUT Dutch (Lidy van Noordenburg)

Date added to the website: 2008-06-23.

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