Love's Philosophy
by Percy Bysshe Shelley
as set to music by Leonard Lehrman
for Soprano or Tenor and Piano (2'30") 7/79
prem. by Deborah Cook, Heidelberg 5/13/80
also perf. by
Elizabeth Parcells, accompanied by Leonard Lehrman, Augsburg, Germany 7/21/80
[The composer moved lines 5-8 to the beginning of the poem.]
To Night
by Percy Bysshe Shelley
as set to music by Leonard Lehrman
A Songlet on an English Love Note (based on Shelley's "To Night")
for Soprano and Piano, Spring 1977 1'30"
prem. by Carol Skinner, accompanied by Leonard Lehrman,
Cornell Univ.4/11/77; broadcast by WBAI 3/79
also performed by Deborah Cook,
accompanied by Leonard Lehrman, Heidelberg 5/13/80;
and by
Elizabeth Parcells, accompanied by Leonard Lehrman, Augsburg, Germany 7/21/80
[The composer set only the (bolded) lines 8-11.]
1 Swiftly walk o'er the western wave,
2 Spirit of Night!
3 Out of the misty eastern cave,
4 Where, all the long and lone daylight,
5 Thou wovest dreams of joy and fear,
6 Which make thee terrible and dear-
7 Swift be thy flight!
8 Wrap thy form in a mantle gray,
9 Star-inwrought!
10 Blind with thine hair the eyes of day;
11 And kiss her until she be wearied out,
12 Then wander o'er city, and sea, and land,
13 Touching all with thine opiate wand-
14 Come, long-sought!
15 When I arose and saw the dawn,
16 I sighed for thee;
17 When the light rode high, and the dew was gone,
18 And noon lay heavy on flower and tree,
19 And the weary day turned to his rest,
20 Lingering like an unloved guest,
21 I sighed for thee.
22 Thy brother Death came, and cried,
23 Wouldst thou me?
24 Thy sweet child Sleep, the filmy-eyed,
25 Murmured like a noontide bee,
26 Shall I nestle near thy side?
27 Wouldst thou me?- And I replied,
28 No not thee!
29 Death will come when thou art dead,
30 Soon, too soon-
31 Sleep will come when thou art fled;
32 Of neither would I ask the boon
33 I ask of thee, beloved Night-
34 Swift be thine approaching flight,
35 Come soon, soon!