by William Motherwell (1797 - 1835)
The voice of love
Language: English
When shadows o'er the landscape creep, And twinkling stars pale vigils keep; When flower-cups all with dewdrops gleam, And moonshine floweth like a stream; Then is the hour That hearts which love no longer dream, -- Then is the hour That the voice of love is a spell of power! When shamefaced moonbeams kiss the lake, And amorous leaves sweet music wake; When slumber steals o'er every eye, And Dian's self shines drowsily; Then is the hour That hearts which love with rapture sigh, -- Then is the hour That the voice of love is a spell of power! When surly mastiffs stint their howl, And swathed in moonshine nods the owl; When cottage-hearths are glimmering low, And warder cocks forget to crow; Then is the hour That hearts feel passion's overflow, -- Then is the hour That the voice of love is a spell of power! When stilly night seems earth's vast grave, Nor murmur comes from wood or wave; When land and sea, in wedlock bound By silence, sleep in bliss profound; Then is the hour That hearts like living well-springs sound, -- Then is the hour That the voice of love is a spell of power!
Confirmed with Poems Narrative and Lyrical, Third Edition, Boston: William D. Ticknor & Company, MDCCCXLIV (1844), pages 179-180
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
Authorship:
- by William Motherwell (1797 - 1835), "The voice of love", appears in Poems Narrative and Lyrical, in Songs [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):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Heinrich Julius Heintze (1811 - 1860) , "Die Stimme der Liebe" ; composed by Heinrich August Marschner.
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2012-04-09
Line count: 32
Word count: 195