Vaughan Williams was born on 12th October 1872 in Down Ampney, a village in the Cotswolds. After attending Charterhouse School and Trinity College, Cambridge, he became a student at the Royal College of Music; he later studied with Max Bruch in Berlin and Maurice Ravel in Paris.
He served as a lieutenant in World War I, having volunteered for the Field Ambulance Service; the appalling carnage affected him deeply, as did the deaths of close friends such as George Butterworth.
He wrote nine symphonies between 1910 and 1958, as well as numerous other works including chamber music, opera, choral music, and film scores. He was also one of the first serious collectors of English folk music and served as president of the English Folk Dance and Song Society (EFDSS). The Society's Vaughan Williams Memorial Library is named for him.
Vaughan Williams died on 26th August 1958, and his ashes are interred in Westminster Abbey.
Rest
Ralph Vaughan Williams Lyrics
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Seal her sweet eyes weary of watching, Earth.
Lie close around her,
Leave no room for mirth with its harsh laughter,
Nor for sound of sighs.
She hath no questions, she hath no replies,
Hushed in and curtained with a blessed dearth
Of all that irked her from her hour of birth;
Darkness more clear than noon-day holdeth her,
Silence more musical than any song;
Even her very heart hath ceased to stir;
Until the morning of Eternity her rest shall not begin nor end,
But be, and when she wakes she will not think it long.
The lyrics of Ralph Vaughan Williams's song Rest describe a state of peaceful rest and stillness. The singer addresses the earth, asking it to rest heavily on the eyes of an unnamed person who is tired of watching. The earth is asked to close around her, leaving no room for mirth or sound of sighs. The person being described has no questions or replies; she is entirely at peace, free from all the things that troubled her from the moment she was born. She is surrounded by silence that is more musical than any song, and by darkness that is more clear than noon-day. Even her heart has ceased to beat, and she will remain in this state until the morning of Eternity, when she wakes and finds that her rest was no longer than a moment.
The song Rest is a hymn of overwhelming peace and stillness, describing a state beyond human comprehension. The language used in the lyrics is deliberately slow and measured, conveying a sense of the vast, infinite stillness that surrounds the person being described. Ralph Vaughan Williams's use of language is strikingly effective in conveying this sense of peace and quiet, using words like "sweet," "curtained," and "blessed dearth" to create a mood of profound calm.
Line by Line Meaning
O Earth lie heavily upon her eyes;
Let her eyes be burdened with the weight of the Earth;
Seal her sweet eyes weary of watching, Earth.
Earth, surround her tired eyes and let her rest from watching;
Lie close around her,
Stay near and protect her;
Leave no room for mirth with its harsh laughter,
Don't let there be any joy or laughter that might hurt her;
Nor for sound of sighs.
Make sure there are no sounds of sorrow or despair;
She hath no questions, she hath no replies,
She has no more questions or answers;
Hushed in and curtained with a blessed dearth
Surrounded by the peaceful absence of all that bothered her;
Of all that irked her from her hour of birth;
All the troubles that she had ever faced from birth, now gone;
With stillness that is almost Paradise.
Her stillness is so peaceful, it's almost like being in Paradise;
Darkness more clear than noon-day holdeth her,
She is held by a darkness that is even clearer than bright noon-day light;
Silence more musical than any song;
The silence surrounding her is more beautiful than any song;
Even her very heart hath ceased to stir;
Her heart has stopped beating;
Until the morning of Eternity her rest shall not begin nor end,
She will rest forever and ever, until the end of time;
But be, and when she wakes she will not think it long.
There will be no concept of time and when she wakes, she won't feel like much time has passed.
Writer(s): Ralph Vaughan Williams
Contributed by Alice S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
1RobertCEvans1
TEXT (Christina Rossetti):
O Earth, lie heavily upon her eyes;
Seal her sweet eyes weary of watching, Earth;
Lie close around her; leave no room for mirth
With its harsh laughter, nor for sound of sighs.
She hath no questions, she hath no replies,
Hushed in and curtained with a blessed dearth
Of all that irked her from the hour of birth;
With stillness that is almost Paradise.
Darkness more clear than noon-day holdeth her,
Silence more musical than any song;
Even her very heart has ceased to stir:
Until the morning of Eternity
Her rest shall not begin nor end, but be;
And when she wakes she will not think it long.
Christopher Jordan Brown
Death is hard to accept. This piece leads us towards that in the most serene and subtle fashion. Beautifully sang.
Ralph Berney
An exquisite, deeply sensitive, subtle and alive rendition of Rest by RVW, with an impressive range of very fine voices, captivating in their rich harmony, and perfect expression of those most moving and challenging words, made real, made sense of, by the sublime music, and not least a choir guided and raised to a pinnacle of achievement by Olga Spriggs.
Jeremy Landig
Exquisite. This should be the reference recording.
Christopher Jordan Brown
Yup!!
Christopher Jordan Brown
Love this piece
1RobertCEvans1
TEXT (Christina Rossetti):
O Earth, lie heavily upon her eyes;
Seal her sweet eyes weary of watching, Earth;
Lie close around her; leave no room for mirth
With its harsh laughter, nor for sound of sighs.
She hath no questions, she hath no replies,
Hushed in and curtained with a blessed dearth
Of all that irked her from the hour of birth;
With stillness that is almost Paradise.
Darkness more clear than noon-day holdeth her,
Silence more musical than any song;
Even her very heart has ceased to stir:
Until the morning of Eternity
Her rest shall not begin nor end, but be;
And when she wakes she will not think it long.
Christopher Jordan Brown
Haunting and gorgeous poetry
Ben Alvernaz
Brought tears to my eyes. Sang this in high school in about 1974. Beautiful.
Regina Legaspi
I sang this in high school in 1990. I still love it to this day ❤
John Wack
So did I at McLane High in Fresno, CA in 1974! Sam Barkman, director. Did we sing this together?