1997
From Whence Cometh Song
Composed by 
Ned Rorem
Ned Rorem Text by 
Theodore Roethke
Theodore Roethke Evidence of Things Not Seen Song Collection
"From Whence Cometh Song" is the first song in Rorem's massive song cycle Evidence of Things Not Seen, which sets 36 poems by a total of 24 authors.
Text
From Whence Cometh Song?
by Theodore Roethke
From whence cometh song?
From the tear, far away,
From the hound giving tongue,
From the quarry’s weak cry.
From whence, love?
From the dirt in the street,
From the bolt stuck in the groove,
From the cur at my feet.
Whence, death?
From dire hell’s mouth,
From the ghost without breath,
From the wind shifting south.
Sheet Music