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The Song of Wandering Aengus
By M Ryan Taylor on Feb 7, 2008 | In Individual Songs | Send feedback »
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About "The Song of Wandering Aengus"
I love this poem by William Butler Yeats and I wanted to set it, so I did. I didn’t try to incorporate it into a set. One reason may be that the longing that this poem portrays is complete in itself. We all have inward visions of ideals that we often blindly pursue in life, hoping that if we just wander a just little farther . . .
This setting was written in 1998 and revised in early 2006. The setting is for medium voice.
Recordings:
At this time there are no recordings available. Send your live recording to be posted here. I’ll be glad to link back to your singer site. Contact info is listed in the edition of the piece.
The Text:
The Song of the Wandering Aengus
by William Butler Yeats
I went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;
And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.
When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire a-flame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And some one called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.
Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands,
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.