Lyrks
Lyrks
Lyrks
Cover Art

An Arundel Tombb Lyrics by Philip Larkin

The Whitsun Weddings

0

Side by side, their faces blurred,
The earl and countess lie in stone,
Their proper habits vaguely shown
As jointed armour, stiffened pleat,
And that faint hint of the absurd-
The little dogs under their feet.
Such plainness of the pre-baroque
Hardly involves the eye, until
It meets his left-hand gauntlet, still
Clasped empty in the other; and
One sees, with a sharp tender shock
His hand withdrawn, holding her hand.
They would not think to lie so long
Such faithfulnеss in effigy
Was just a detail friends would see:
A sculptor's sweet commissionеd grace
Thrown off in helping to prolong
The Latin names around the base.
They would not guess how early in
Their supine stationary voyage
The air would change to soundless damage,
Turn the old tenantry away;
How soon succeeding eyes begin
To look, not read. Rigidly they
Persisted, linked through lengths and breadths
Of time. Snow fell, undated. Light
Each summer thronged the glass. A bright
Litter of birdcalls strewed the same
Bone-riddled ground. And up the paths
The endless altered people came,
Washing at their identity,
Now, helpless in the hollow of
An unarmorial age, a trough
Of smoke in slow suspended skeins
Above their scrap of history,
Only an attitude remains:
Time has transfigured them into
Untruth. The stone fidelity
They hardly meant has come to be
Their final blazon, and to prove
Our almost-instinct almost true:
What will survive of us is love.
Credits
Philip Larkin

Philip Larkin

About “An Arundel Tombb” by Philip Larkin

Read the complete lyrics to "An Arundel Tombb" by Philip Larkin from the album "The Whitsun Weddings". 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 Non-Music.

"An Arundel Tombb" is performed by Philip Larkin. from the album "The Whitsun Weddings" 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 "An Arundel Tombb", explore more songs by Philip Larkin 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.

View all songs and biography for Philip Larkin · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"An Arundel Tombb" is credited to Philip Larkin. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"An Arundel Tombb" appears on "The Whitsun Weddings".

Visit the Philip Larkin artist page at /artist/philip-larkin for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.