by Nelle Richmond Eberhart (1871 - 1944)
The great wind shakes the breadfruit leaf
Language: English
The great wind shakes the breadfruit leaf, The great waves cry on the coral reef, The great drums sigh with a spirit breath, For Something here has looked on death. Turn ye back from the bush tonight,-- Turn ye back from the bush tonight, Turn ye back! The ghost tree falls across the trail, A white crane flies with eerie wail, A shriek goes up from the bamboo wood, Where spirits seek for living food. Turn ye back from the bush tonight,-- Turn ye back from the bush tonight, Turn ye back! Burn the rushfires bright, bright! Turn ye back!
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Charles Wakefield Cadman (1881 - 1946), "The great wind shakes the breadfruit leaf", subtitle: "Ghost song", op. 55 no. 2, published 1913 [voice and piano], from Idyls of the South Sea, no. 2. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-11-02
Line count: 16
Word count: 101