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Israfel Lyrics by Clamma Dale, Rosalind Elias, Nancy Williams, Neil Rosenshein, John Reardon, Donald Gramm

Bernstein: Songfest

0

In Heaven a spirit doth dwell
"Whose heart-strings are a lute;"
None sing so wildly well
As the angel Israfel
And the giddy stars (so legends tell)
Ceasing their hymns, attend the spell
Of his voice, all mute
Tottering above
In her highest noon
The enamored moon
Blushes with love
While, to listen, the red levin
(With the rapid Pleiads, even
Which were seven,)
Pauses in Heaven
And they say (the starry choir
And the other listening things)
That Israfeli's fire
Is owing to that lyre
By which he sits and sings—
The trembling living wire
Of those unusual strings
But the skies that angel trod
Where deep thoughts are a duty—
Where Love's a grown-up God
Where the Houri glances are
Imbued with all the beauty
Which we worship in a star
Therefore thou art not wrong
Israfeli, who despisest
An unimpassioned song;
To thee the laurels belong
Best bard, because the wisest!
Merrily live, and long!
The ecstasies above
With thy burning measures suit—
Thy grief, thy joy, thy hate, thy love
With the fervor of thy lute—
Well may the stars be mute!
Yes, Heaven is thine; but this
Is a world of sweets and sours;
Our flowers are merely—flowers
And the shadow of thy perfect bliss
Is the sunshine of ours
If I could dwell
Where Israfel
Hath dwelt, and he where I
He might not sing so wildly well
A mortal melody
While a bolder note than this might
Swell
From my lyre within the sky
Credits
Clamma Dale

Clamma Dale

Rosalind Elias

Rosalind Elias

Nancy Williams

Nancy Williams

Neil Rosenshein

Neil Rosenshein

John Reardon

John Reardon

Donald Gramm

Donald Gramm

About “Israfel” by Clamma Dale

Read the complete lyrics to "Israfel" by Clamma Dale, Rosalind Elias, Nancy Williams, Neil Rosenshein, John Reardon, Donald Gramm from the album "Bernstein: Songfest". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Pop.

"Israfel" is performed by Clamma Dale, Rosalind Elias, Nancy Williams, Neil Rosenshein, John Reardon, Donald Gramm. from the album "Bernstein: Songfest" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Israfel", explore more songs by Clamma Dale, Rosalind Elias, Nancy Williams, Neil Rosenshein, John Reardon, Donald Gramm using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Israfel" is credited to Clamma Dale, Rosalind Elias, Nancy Williams, Neil Rosenshein, John Reardon, Donald Gramm. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Israfel" appears on "Bernstein: Songfest".

Visit the Clamma Dale, Rosalind Elias, Nancy Williams, Neil Rosenshein, John Reardon, Donald Gramm artist page at /artist/clamma-dale for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.