The half‑moon westers low, my love

The half-moon westers low, my love,
And the wind brings up the rain;
And wide apart we lie, my love,
And seas between the twain.

I know not if it rains, my love,
In the land where you do lie;
And oh, so sound you sleep, my love.
You know no more than I.

by Alfred Edward Housman (1859-1936) , no title, from Last Poems, no. 26, published 1922

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

by Sir Lennox Berkeley (1903-1989) , "The half-moon westers low"
by Susan Calvin , "The half-moon westers low", published 1965. [SATB chorus a cappella]
by Jake Heggie (1961-) , "The half-moon westers low", 2005, first performed 2005 [tenor and baritone with violin, viola, cello and piano], from Here and Gone, no. 7.
by Donald James Martino (1931-2005) , "The half-moon westers low, my love", 1951, published 1978, from Separate Songs, no. 2.
by Leslie Russell , "The half-moon westers low, my love", 1973 [soprano or tenor and piano], from The Ludlow Cycle, no. ?
by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) , "The half-moon westers low", 1927, published 1954, rev. 1954 [voice and violin], from Along the Field, no. 3.
by Raymond Wilding-White (1922-) , "The half-moon westers low", published 1969 [high voice and piano], from Three Housman Poems, no. ?

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

Gentle Reminder

This project is not funded. If you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your gift is greatly appreciated!      - Emily I also have a wishlist at Amazon.ca.

Search/Shop for

Sheet music:

  Search sheetmusicplus.com for The half-moon westers low, my love, The half-moon westers low, Art song , Lieder, chansons, or works for solo voice
  Search musicroom.com for The half-moon westers low, my love, The half-moon westers low, vocal/choral music

CDs:

  Search amazon.com for The half-moon westers low, my love, The half-moon westers low, art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for The half-moon westers low, my love, The half-moon westers low, 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

Classical Vocal Repertoire