Daughter of the Sun (Macleod, set by R. Boughton) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


Thou art the Daughter of the Sun,
Alona!
Even as the sun in a green place,
The light that is upon thy face!
When thou art gone there is dusk on my ways,
Alona!

Thy soul is of sun-fire wrought in clay,
Alona,
The white warm clay that hath for name,
Alona -- and for word of fame,
Eilidh -- and is for me a Flame
To burn against the Eternal Day,
Alona!

The hills know thee, and the green woods,
Alona,
And the wide sea, and the blue loch, and the stream:
On thy brow, Daughter of the Sun, is agleam
The mystery of Dream, -- 
Alona!

The fires of the sun that burn thee,
Alona,
O, heart of my heart, are in me!
Thy fire burns, thy flame killeth, thy sea
Of light blazeth continually -- 
Is there no rest in joy, no rest, no rest for me
Whom rapture slayeth utterly,
Alona, Alona!

Author's note: Alona is the Anglicised form of an old Gaelic word signifying "exquisitely beautiful."

Authorship

Fiona Macleod (1885-1905) [pseudonym]

The Love Songs of Ian Mòr

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

Rutland Boughton (1878-1960)

Five Celtic Songs

Date added to the website: 2008-08-18.

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