Man born to toil (Bridges, set by G. Holst, C. Christopher, C. Parry) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


Man, born to toil, in his labour rejoiceth; 
His voice is heard in the morn: 
He armeth his hand and sallieth forth 
To engage with the generous teeming earth, 
And drinks from the rocky rills 
The laughter of life. 
Or else, in crowded cities gathering close, 
He traffics morn and eve 
In thronging market-halls; 
Or within echoing walls 
Of busy arsenals 
Weldeth the stubborn iron to engines vast ; 
Or tends the thousand looms 
Where, with black smoke o'ercast, 
The land mourns in deep glooms. 
Life is toil, and life is good : 
There in loving brotherhood 
Beateth the nation's heart of fire. 
Strife ! Strife ! The strife is strong ! 
There battle thought and voice, and spirits conspire 
In joyous dance around the tree of life, 
And from the ringing choir 
Riseth the praise of God from hearts in tuneful song.

First published in Cornhill Magazine, September 1898

Authorship

Robert Seymour Bridges (1844-1930)

A Hymn of Nature

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

Gustav Holst (1874-1934)

Text is used as part of a longer work

Cyril Stanley Christopher (1897-?)

full setting text

Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848-1918)

full setting text

Date added to the website: 2009-01-29.

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