The Waltz King

Complete Text
(text compiled by Paul Reale from the writings of e.e. cummings, T.S. ELiot, Andrew Marvell, Ezra Pound, Sappho, Yvor Winters, and John Wilmot (The Earl of Rochester).



Narrator: Poor mortals that are clog'd with earth below
Sing under love and care, while we that dwell in air
Such heavy passions never know.


Soprano: Awake, my love the birds
Alto: Awake, my love that sleep into the dawn,


S: of all the world are gone. I go
A: The birds of all the world are gone. I go
Tenor: I go away I go
Baritone: I go I go away


S: I go away in joy I go away in joy.
A: away in joy I go away in joy
T: I go away in joy in joy.
B: in joy in joy


S: The birds of all the world of our love of our love of my love and yours,
A: all the world spoke of our love of our love (S+A)


S: Cried out above cried out above I go away
A: Cried out above cried out above I go I
T: I go away I go
B: I go I go away


S: I go away in joy I go away in........Joy was my love
A: go away I go away go away in Joy It was my
T: I go away in joy in joy
B: in joy in joy


S: It was my love and yours that made them cry the branches where they used
A: love and yours that made them cry, you cut the branches






S: to fly I go away I go away in joy I go away in joy.
A:where they used to fly I go I go away I go away go away in joy.
T: I go away I go I go away in joy go away in joy.
B: I go I go away I go away in joy in joy.


Narrator: Consider, o woman, this....my body For it has lain with empty


S: To dream To dream forever
A: even in my dreams
T: even in my dreams, you
Narr: arms upon the giddy hills to dream of you


S: He is more than a hero
T: have denied yourself to me.


S: he who listens intimately to the murmur murmur of your voice, the enticing

laughter that makes my own heart beat fast. If I meet you
Narr: I desired my dust to be mingled


S: suddenly, I can't speak I can't speak.
Narr: with yours Even in my dreams you have denied


Narr: yourself to me forever and forever You wiser men, despise
me not, whose lovesick fancy raves,
On shades of souls and heav'n knows,
What short ages live in ......


S: lain upon the giddy hils to dream of you
A: forever and forever do not tell me
T: Do you know how I am thinking about you now?
B: forever I desired my dust
Narr: graves.








S: even in my dreams forever
A: or I shall die forever and forever
T: I must, or I shall die and forever
B: forever to be mingled with yours


B: Why should I blame her that she filled my days with misery
Narr: Forever and forever.
B: or that she would of late have taught to ignorant men most


A: Afraid Afraid of losing you
B: violent ways or hurled the little streets upon the great. Had they but


A: I ran fluttering like a litle girl after her mother.
B: courage equal to desire.



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Narr: Injurious charmer of my vanquished heart,
Canst thou feel love and yet no pity know?
Since of myself from thee I cannot part,
Invent some gentle way to let me go.


SATB: Then let our flaming hearts be joined,
While in that sacred fire,
E'er thou prove false or I unkind,
Together, both expire.


Narr: Frail angel that wou'dst leave a heart forlorn
with vain pretense, falsehood therein might lye,
Seek not to cast wild shadows o're your scorn
You cannot sooner change than I can dye.


SATB: Then let our flaming hearts .........etc.








S: I desired my dust to be mingled with yours
A: lain upon the giddy hills
T: afraid of losing you forever and
B: forever and forever forever.


S: forever my girlhood then was in full bloom
A: that was different endless
T: to dream of you hours have been
B: together both expire
Narr: The gods bless you . may


S,T: How blest was the created state of
Narr: you sleep on some tender friend's breast.


S,T: of man and woman ere they fell, compared to our unhappy fate,


S: We need not fear another hell we need not fear
A: Naked between cool shades they lay, enjoyment waited on
T: We need not fear another hell we need not fear


S: desire enjoyment enjoyment pleasure
A: desire. Each member did their wills obey, nor could a wish set pleasure higher.
T: desire enjoyment Pleasure


S,T: But we poor slaves to hope and fear are never of our joys secure,
They lessen, still as they draw near and none but dull delights endure.


A: Tonight I watched the moon and then the Pleiades go down,
The night is now half gone.... youth goes, youth goes,
Narr: even in my dreams I desired


A: I am in bed alone.
Narr: forever and forever.



Narr: I have loved a stream and a shadow.


T: As cool as the pale, wet leaves of the lily of the valley,
She lay beside me in the down.
She is beautiful as the sunlight.
She has no name and no place.
Surely, you are bound and entwined
You are mingled with the elements unborn,



S: I love feel love
A: will love
T: I have loved a stream and a shadow.
B: her body, shadowy as the vapour drifting under


S: I have loved together expire
B: the dawn. for she who awoke desire,
Narr: Now, while we dance come here to us


S: beside me I confess
A: Do you know how I am thinking about you now?
Narr: gentle gaiety, revelry, Radiance.


S: I confess my love I confess my love
A: my love I confess my love I confess
T: Dance there upon the shore, what need have you to care
B: Dance there upon the shore What need have you to care for wind or water's


S: confess my love
A: I love that which caresses me.
T: for wind or water's roar that the salt drops have wet
B: roar and tumble out your hair drops have wet and


S: my love I confess my love.
A: my love I confess my love.
T: Being young, you have not known the fool's triumph
B: Being young, you have not known the fool's triumph nor love lost as soon as
won. What need have you to dread the monstrous crying of the wind (T+B).


S,A,T,B: Leave this gaudy, guilded stage,
From custom more than use frequented,
Where fools of either sex or age,
Crowd to see themselves presented.
Narr: A waltz........A Waltz!