A Psalm of Life - Seow Mao Yu (The Vocal Consort)

A Psalm of Life
Music by Seow Mao Yu
Text by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Performed on: 21 August 2022
The Vocal Consort Presents: Even After All This Time
Conducted by: Mr Seow Mao Yu
Longfellow’s A Psalm of Life describes the purpose of life, and how one should handle the sorrow and struggles along the way. It begins with the speaker contradicting a listener who explains life to him in numbers and figures, followed by an attempt to prove the listener wrong. In short, he argues that we must be prepared at all times for any difficulties and ultimately death. Therefore, we must live the best out of every day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!
Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,- act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
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