1990

The first Day’s Night had come —

Composed by Leo Smit

Beyond Circumference Song Collection

"The first Day's Night had come —" is the fourteenth song in Leo Smit's song cycle Beyond Circumference. Beyond Circumference is the fourth of Smit's six song cycles setting the poetry of Emily Dickinson. For more information about Leo Smit's Emily Dickinson song cycles, please visit the pages for The Ecstatic Pilgrimage and Leo Smit. For inquiries about Leo Smit and to obtain sheet music, please contact Nils Vigeland at nvigeland@optonline.net.

Text

The first Day’s Night had come — (poem 410)
by Emily Dickinson

The first Day’s Night had come —
And grateful that a thing
So terrible — had been endured —
I told my Soul to sing —

She said her Strings were snapt —
Her Bow — to Atoms blown —
And so to mend her — gave me work
Until another Morn —

And then — a Day as huge
As Yesterdays in pairs,
Unrolled its horror in my face —
Until it blocked my eyes —

My Brain — begun to laugh —
I mumbled — like a fool —
And tho’ ’tis Years ago — that Day —
My Brain keeps giggling — still.

And Something’s odd — within —
That person that I was —
And this One — do not feel the same —
Could it be Madness — this?