A Child Asleep
"A Child Asleep" is a song, with lyrics from a poem written by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. It was set to music by the English composer Edward Elgar in December 1909 and published in 1910 by Novello.[1] It was first published by Browning in 1840.[2]
It is dedicated to Anthony Goetz, the son of Ludovic Goetz and Muriel Foster, a favourite singer and personal friend of Elgar.[1]
Lyrics
How he sleepeth!
Vision unto vision calleth,
While the young child dreameth on.
Fair, O dreamer, thee befalleth
With the glory thou hast won!
Darker wert thou in the garden, yestermorn, by summer sun.
We should see the spirits [rising]
Round thee,—were the clouds away.
'Tis the child-heart draws them, singing
In the silent-seeming clay.
Singing!—stars that seem the mutest, go in music music all the way.
Softly, softly! make no noises!
Now he lieth [still] and dumb.
Now he hears the angels' voices
Folding silence in the room.
Now he muses deep the meaning of the Heaven-words as they come.
He is harmless—[we] are sinful.
[We] are troubled—he, at ease.
From his slumber, virtue winful
Floweth outward with increase.
Dare not bless him! but be blessèd by his peace—and go in peace.[3]— Stanza I, line 1a; stanzas IV, V, IX, and XII
References
- ^ a b Kennedy, Michael (1987). Portrait of Elgar (Third ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 350. ISBN 0-19-284017-7.
- ^ Browning, Elizabeth Barrett; Preston, Harriet Waters (1900). The Complete Poetical Works of Mrs. Browning. Houghton Mifflin. pp. 155–156.
- ^ Text taken from: Barrett Browning, Elizabeth (1856). Poems. Vol. 2 (4th ed.). London: Chapman & Hall. pp. 150-153., showing Elgar's alterations in [brackets], according to: "How he sleepeth! having drunken (Browning, set by Edward Elgar, Sir, Rudolph T. Werther)". www.lieder.net. Retrieved 30 December 2019.
- Percy Young, Elgar O.M.
External links
- A Child Asleep: Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
- v
- t
- e
- Diarmuid and Grania (1901)
- The Crown of India (1911–12)
- The Starlight Express (1915–16)
- The Sanguine Fan (1917)
- Symphony No. 1 (1907–08)
- Symphony No. 2 (1909–11)
- Symphony No. 3 (1932–34; completed by Payne in 1997)
- The Wand of Youth (1869–1907)
- Powick Asylum Music (1879–1884)
- Sevillana (1884)
- Froissart (1890)
- Sursum corda (1894)
- Serenade for Strings (1894)
- Three Bavarian Dances (1898)
- Enigma Variations (1899)
- Cockaigne Overture (1900–01)
- Pomp and Circumstance Marches (1901–30)
- Dream Children (1902)
- Introduction and Allegro (1904–05)
- In the South (Alassio) (1904–05)
- Elegy (1909)
- Falstaff (1913)
- Sospiri (1914)
- Carillon (1914)
- Polonia (1915)
- Une voix dans le désert (1915)
- Le drapeau belge (1917)
- Nursery Suite (1930)
- The Severn Suite (1930)
- Violin Concerto (1901–10)
- Romance (1910)
- Cello Concerto (1918–19)
- Duett for trombone and double bass (1887)
- Idylle (1883)
- Salut d'Amour (1888)
- Chanson de Nuit (1897)
- Chanson de Matin (1899)
- Violin Sonata (1918)
- String Quartet (1918)
- Piano Quintet (1918–19)
- Organ Sonata (1898)
- Concert Allegro (1901)
- The Black Knight (1889–93)
- From the Bavarian Highlands (1895–96)
- The Dream of Gerontius (1899–1900)
- The Kingdom (1901–06)
- Coronation Ode (1902)
- The Apostles (1902–03)
- The Music Makers (1912)
- The Spirit of England (1915–17)
- "The Language of Flowers" (1872)
- "The Self Banished" (1875)
- "A War Song" (1884)
- Seven Lieder
- "Like to the Damask Rose" (1892)
- "Queen Mary's Song" (1889)
- "A Song of Autumn" (1892)
- "The Poet's Life" (1892)
- "Through the Long Days" (1885)
- "Rondel" (1894)
- "The Shepherd's Song" (1892)
- "Is she not passing fair?" (1886)
- "As I laye a-thynkynge" (1888)
- "The Wind at Dawn" (1888)
- "After" (1900)
- "A Song of Flight" (1900)
- Sea Pictures
- "Sea Slumber Song"
- "In Haven"
- "Sabbath Morning at Sea"
- "Where Corals Lie"
- "The Swimmer" (1897–99)
- "Dry those fair, those crystal eyes" (1899)
- "Always and Everywhere" (1901)
- "Come, Gentle Night!" (1901)
- "In the Dawn" (1901)
- "Speak, Music!" (1901)
- "There are seven that pull the thread" (1901)
- "In Moonlight" ((1904)
- "Follow the Colours" (1907)
- "Pleading" (1908)
- "A Child Asleep" (1909)
- "Oh, soft was the song" (1910)
- "Was it some Golden Star?" (1910)
- "Twilight" (1910)
- "The Chariots of the Lord" (1914)
- "Fight for Right" (1916)
- "Inside the Bar" (1917)
- "The Blue Mountains" (1924)
- "The Immortal Legions" (1924)
- Pageant of Empire (1924)
- "XTC" (1930)
- Category
This article related to a poem is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
- v
- t
- e