Shine! Shine! Shine! Pour down your warmth, great sun! While we bask -- we two together. Two together! Winds blow South or winds blow North, Day come white, or night come black, Home or rivers and mountains from home, Singing all [the]1 time, minding no time, While we two keep together.
Sea-drift
Set by Frederick Delius (1862 - 1934), "Sea-drift", published 1918 [ baritone, mixed chorus, and orchestra ]  [sung text not yet checked]
Note: this setting is made up of several separate texts.
Authorship:
- by Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892), no title, appears in Leaves of Grass, in Sea-Drift, no. 3
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View original text (without footnotes)1 omitted by Kernochan, Vaughan Williams
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]
Once, Paumanok, When [the snows had melted -- when]1 the lilac-scent was in the air, and [the]1 Fifth-month grass was growing, Up this sea-shore, in some briers, Two [guests]2 from Alabama -- two together, And their nest, and four light-green eggs, spotted with brown, And every day the he-bird, to and fro, near at hand, And every day the she-bird, crouch'd on her nest, silent, with bright eyes, And every day I, a curious boy, never too close, never disturbing them, Cautiously peering, absorbing, translating.
Authorship:
- by Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892), no title, appears in Leaves of Grass, in Sea-Drift, no. 2
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View original text (without footnotes)1 omitted by Delius.
2 Delius: "feather'd guests"
Researcher for this page: Ahmed E. Ismail
Till of a sudden, Maybe kill'd, unknown to her mate, One forenoon the she-bird crouch'd not on the nest, Nor return'd that afternoon, nor the next, Nor ever appeared again. And thenceforward all summer in the sound of the sea, And at night under the full of the moon in calmer weather, Over the hoarse surging of the sea, Or flitting from brier to brier by day, I saw, I heard at intervals the remaining one, the he-bird, The solitary guest from Alabama.
Authorship:
- by Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892), no title, appears in Leaves of Grass, in Sea-Drift, no. 4
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Researcher for this page: Ahmed E. IsmailBlow! blow! blow! Blow up sea-winds along Paumanok's shore; I wait and I wait till you blow my mate to me.
Authorship:
- by Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892), no title, appears in Leaves of Grass, in Sea-Drift, no. 5
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Researcher for this page: Ahmed E. IsmailYes, when the stars glisten'd, All night long, on the prong of a moss-scallop'd stake, Down, almost amid the slapping waves, Sat the lone singer, wonderful, causing tears. He call'd on his mate; He pour'd forth the meanings which I, of all men, know. Yes, my brother, I know; The rest might not -- but I have treasur'd every note; For [once, and]1 more than once, dimly, down to the beach gliding, Silent, avoiding the moonbeams, blending myself with the shadows, Recalling now the obscure shapes, the echoes, the sounds and sights after their sorts, The white arms out in the breakers tirelessly tossing, I, with bare feet, a child, the wind wafting my hair, Listen'd long and long. Listen'd, to keep, to sing -- now translating the notes, Following you, my brother.
Authorship:
- by Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892), no title, appears in Leaves of Grass, in Sea-Drift, no. 6
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View original text (without footnotes)1 omitted by Delius.
Researcher for this page: Ahmed E. Ismail
[Soothe! soothe! soothe! Close on its wave soothes the wave behind, And again another behind embracing and lapping, every one close, But my love soothes not me, not me.]1 Low hangs the moon, it rose late, [It]2 is lagging -- O I think it is heavy [with love,]1 with love. [O madly the sea pushes upon the land, With love, with love. O night! do I not see my love fluttering out among the breakers? What is that little black thing I see there in the white?]1 Loud! loud! loud! Loud I call to you, my love! High and clear I shoot my voice over the waves, Surely you must know who [is here,]1 is here, You must know who I am, my love. [Low-hanging moon! What is that dusky spot in your brown yellow? O it is the shape, the shape of my mate. O moon do not keep her from me any longer. Land! land! O land! Whichever way I turn, O I think you could give me my mate back again if you only would, For I am almost sure I see her dimly whichever way I look.]1 ; 3 [O rising stars! Perhaps the one I want so much will rise, will rise with some of you.]1 O throat! [O trembling throat!]1 Sound clearer through the atmosphere! Pierce the woods, the earth, Somewhere listening to catch you must be the one I want. Shake out carols! Solitary here, the night's carols! Carols of lonesome love! death's carols! Carols under that lagging, yellow, waning moon! O under that moon where she droops almost down into the sea! O reckless despairing carols. But soft! sink low! Soft! let me just murmur, And do you [wait]4 a moment you [husky-nois'd]1 sea, For somewhere I believe I heard my mate responding to me, So faint, I must [be still,]1 be still to listen, But not altogether still, for then she might not come immediately to me. Hither my love! Here I am! here! With this just-sustain'd note I announce myself to you, This gentle call is for you my love, [for you]1. [Do not be decoy'd elsewhere, That is the whistle of the wind, it is not my voice, That is the fluttering, the fluttering of the spray, Those are the shadows of leaves. O darkness! O in vain! O I am very sick and sorrowful.]1 O brown halo in the sky near the moon, drooping upon the sea! O troubled reflection in the sea! O throat! O throbbing heart! [O all --]3 And I singing [uselessly,]1 uselessly all the night. [Yet I murmur, murmur on! O murmurs -- you yourselves make me continue to sing, I know not why.]1 ; 3 [O past! O [life]5! O songs of joy! In the air -- in the woods -- over fields, Loved! loved! loved! loved! loved! But my [love]6 no more, no more with me! We two together no more.]1
Authorship:
- by Walt Whitman (1819 - 1892), no title, appears in Leaves of Grass, in Sea-Drift, no. 7
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View original text (without footnotes)1 omitted by Kilstofte.
2 Kilstofte: "O it"
3 omitted by Delius.
4 Kilstofte: "hush and wait"
5 Delius: "happy life"
6 Delius: "mate"
Researcher for this page: Ahmed E. Ismail