quote · Legacy record
“Come back, come back”; behold with straining mast And swelling sail, behold her steaming fast; With one new sun to see her voyage o’er, With morning light to touch her native shore, “Come back, come back.” “Come back, come back”; across the flying foam, We hear faint far-off voices call us home, “Come back,” ye seem to say; “Ye seek in vain; We went, we sought, and homeward turned again. Come back, come back.” “Come back, come back”; and whither back or why? To fan quenched hopes, forsaken schemes to try; Walk the old fields; pace the familiar street; Dream with the idlers, with the bards compete. “Come back, come back.” “Come back, come back”; and whither and for what? To finger idly some old Gordian knot, Unskilled to sunder, and too weak to cleave, And with much toil attain to half-believe. “Come back, come back.” “Come back, come back”; yea back, indeed, do go Sighs panting thick, and tears that want to flow; Fond fluttering hopes upraise their useless wings, And wishes idly struggle in the strings; “Come back, come back.”... “Come back, come back!” Back flies the foam; the hoisted flag streams back; The long smoke wavers on the homeward track, Back fly with winds things which the winds obey— The strong ship follows its appointed way.
“Come back, come back”; behold with straining mast And swelling sail, behold her steaming fast; With one new sun to see her voyage o’er, With morning light to touch her native shore, “Come back, come back.” “Come back, come back”; across the flying foam, We hear faint far-off voices call us home, “Come back,” ye seem to say; “Ye seek in vain; We went, we sought, and homeward turned again. Come back, come back.” “Come back, come back”; and whither back or why? To fan quenched hopes, forsaken schemes to try; Walk the old fields; pace the familiar street; Dream with the idlers, with the bards compete. “Come back, come back.” “Come back, come back”; and whither and for what? To finger idly some old Gordian knot, Unskilled to sunder, and too weak to cleave, And with much toil attain to half-believe. “Come back, come back.” “Come back, come back”; yea back, indeed, do go Sighs panting thick, and tears that want to flow; Fond fluttering hopes upraise their useless wings, And wishes idly struggle in the strings; “Come back, come back.”... “Come back, come back!” Back flies the foam; the hoisted flag streams back; The long smoke wavers on the homeward track, Back fly with winds things which the winds obey— The strong ship follows its appointed way.
In print by 1921 AD · modern
Recorded in a printed collection by this date; the original date of these words is still unknown.
Meaning not yet available
An individual explanation has not yet been added. We do not substitute a generic description for an interpretation of these particular words.
Begin with source-checked readings and explanations ↗Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- A. H. Clough (identity unresolved)
Attribution: unknown - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- In print by 1921 AD · modern
In print by 1921: recorded in My Commonplace Book (third English edition,1921). Collection publication is an upper bound for this wording, not its earliest origin, composition date or the author's lifetime.
An author lifetime, approximate period or collection date is not necessarily the date when these words were first written or spoken. - Recorded source
- My Commonplace Book (third English edition,1921) (1921 AD)
Page 125 · printed citation: A. H. Clough (Songs in Absence). · compiler notes excluded
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.