The journeyman weaver (Campbell, set by G. Peterkin) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


Beam and shuttle seem to know 
His inner thoughts, and softly llow 
Backward, forward, to and fro. 
 
Weft thread fast and warp thread slow, 
White thread joy and black thread woe, 
Backward, forward, to and fro. 
 
Things and shadows darker grow; 
Daylight flickers to and fro. 
Backward, forward, to and fro. 
 
Outside the horns of winter blow, 
Journeyman, 'tis time to go I 
Backward, forward, to and fro. 
 
Death .... his hand is cold as snow 
Quench the ashes, keen him low, 
Backward, forward, to and fro.

Input by Ferdinando Albeggiani

Authorship

Joseph Campbell (1881-1944)

Irishry

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

George Norman Peterkin (1886-?)

Date added to the website: 2009-02-03.

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