The Vagabond (Ralph Vaughan Williams)

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• (Posted 2008-06-08)  CPDL #17120:   

Contributor: David Newman (submitted 2008-06-08).   Score information: A4, 7 pages, 388 kB    Copyright: Public Domain

Edition notes: Cross posting by Art Song Central - File Sizes: PDF: 388 KB, MIDI: 14 KB

General Information

Title: The Vagabond
Composer: Ralph Vaughan Williams
Lyricist: Robert Louis Stevenson

Number of voices: 1v   Voicing: Baritone solo
Genre: Secular, Art song

Language: English
Instruments: Piano

First published: 1905
Description: "The Vagabond" is Number 1 in a set of 9 songs in the set of nine songs called "Songs of Travel".

External websites:

• Art Song Central resources for this work.

Original text and translations

English text

Give to me the life I love,
Let the lave go by me,
Give the jolly heaven above,
And the byway nigh me.
Bed in the bush with stars to see,
Bread I dip in the river -
There’s the life for a man like me,
There’s the life for ever.

Let the blow fall soon or late,
Let what will be o’er me;
Give the face of earth around,
And the road before me.
Wealth I seek not, hope nor love,
Nor a friend to know me;
All I seek, the heaven above,
And the road below me.

Or let autumn fall on me
Where afield I linger,
Silencing the bird on tree,
Biting the blue finger.
White as meal the frosty field -
Warm the fireside haven -
Not to autumn will I yield,
Not to winter even!

Let the blow fall soon or late,
Let what will be o’er me;
Give the face of earth around,
And the road before me.
Wealth I ask not, hope nor love,
Nor a friend to know me;
All I ask, the heaven above,
And the road below me.

Lyrics: Robert Louis Stevenson - (1850-1894) - from "Songs of Travel".