1940

Nocturne

Songs for a Rainy Night, op. 48 Song Collection

"Nocturne" is the first song from Gardner Read's Songs for a Rainy Night, op. 48 and sets Frances Frost's poetry to music.

Text

Nocturne

by Frances Frost

Never a second time this rain, this night.

Never a second time this tree, mist-blown,

Nor this gray light so quick upon the heart;

What things are known briefly, what things touch

The moment into flame, and die,

being too much for the taut heart to bear?

Never these things twice, never a second time

Beauty’s rain-wet lips upon the hair

Records

1999

William Blake, Frances Frost, James Joyce, Gardner Read, Henry Russell, Rabindranath Tagore, Jean Starr Untermeyer