“When Stars are in the Quiet Sky”
‘The desire of the moth for the star’ ~ Percy Bysshe Shelley
On thirteen August, 1865,
This song came out of Hubert Parry, whole.
It seems he did not really need to strive.
Perhaps his writing then was like a stroll
Along a path in Eton’s garden space
With quiet stars and quiet sky above
Him as he sat composing at a pace
More meditation than like fevered love.
The stars are loved by moths, according to
The poet Shelley. This is quieter
Than frantic passion. As an evening blue
This flower is not an orange rioter
Like marigolds. An Evensong with prayers
This melody, it climbs up gentle stairs.