An epitaph | A dream of death | I dreamed that one had died in a strange place

by William Butler Yeats (1865 - 1939)

I dreamed that one had died in a strange...

Language: English

Our translations: FRE

I dreamed that one had died in a strange place
  Near no accustomed hand;
And they had nailed the boards above her face,
  The peasants of that land,
And, wond'ring, planted by her solitude
  A cypress and a yew:
I came, and wrote upon a cross of wood,
  Man had no more to do:
"She was more beautiful than thy first love,
  This lady by the trees:"
And gazed upon the mournful stars above,
  And heard the mournful breeze.

About the headline (FAQ)

First published in National Observer, December 1891, revised 1895

Text Authorship:

by William Butler Yeats (1865 - 1939), "An epitaph" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

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

by Rebecca Clarke (1886 - 1979), "A dream", 1926, published 1928 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
by Lawrence Gilman (1878 - 1939), "A dream of death", published 1903 [ reciter and piano ], in the collection Wa-Wan Series of American Compositions, volume 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Robin Humphrey Milford (1903 - 1959), "A dream of death", published <<1958 [ bass and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Ernest John Moeran (1894 - 1950), "A dream of death", R. 40 (1925), published 1925 [ baritone and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
by Graham Whettam (b. 1927), "A dream of death", rev. 1973, first performed 1967, from Three Songs to Poems of W. B. Yeats, note: name of song cycle was originally Three Songs from "The Rose" [sung text not yet checked]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 79