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Departure Lyrics by W. Wilfred Campbell

Beyond the Hills of Dream

1899

Old house now ruined, wrecked and gray,
Home once enshrined of love’s delight
And all glad promise of the May,
Now hushed in shades of wintry night,—
Once garment of a thousand loves,
Now but a shroud of glooming stone,—
While sad October moans and roves,
Old house, old house, we are alone!
We are alone; yea, you and I,
Who dreamed old summers in their prime;
Now sad and late, to see them die
Along this ruined verge of time.
Old rooms now empty, once so bright,—
Staircases climbed of gladdening feet,
Dark windows erstwhile filled with light
Where now but rains of autumn beat:—
Where now but lorn months call and call
And sea and gust and night complain,—
With ghost-boughs shadowing on the wall,
Or dead vines knocking at the pane.
Old place, whose ceilings, walls and floors
Still redolent of love and May;
Once more, once more I leave your doors,
Into the night I take my way.
Huge yawning hearths, once flaming bright
On many a well-loved face and form
Long gathered out unto the night
To meet the vastness and the storm,—
Into the night; where I, too, go,
Beyond your sheltering walls and doors;
Where death’s October drives his woe
Over a thousand midnight moors,
Beyond your sheltering, where I beat
To sleep with stars of dark o’ergleamed,
Or breast the night of moan and sleet
To meet that morn a world hath dreamed.
Hath dreamed? Hope-hungering heart hath read,
And carolled morning-lifted lark!
Yea, back of all this muffled dread
Perchance some splendor rifts the dark.
Yea, though no magic reach its gleams,
Nor heart of doubting prove it true,
Old house, beloved, of my dead dreams,
While I go forth from love and you.
Credits
W. Wilfred Campbell

W. Wilfred Campbell

About “Departure” by W. Wilfred Campbell

Read the complete lyrics to "Departure" by W. Wilfred Campbell from the album "Beyond the Hills of Dream" in 1899. 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, Literature.

"Departure" is performed by W. Wilfred Campbell. from the album "Beyond the Hills of Dream" in 1899 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 "Departure", explore more songs by W. Wilfred Campbell 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

"Departure" is credited to W. Wilfred Campbell. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Departure" appears on "Beyond the Hills of Dream" in 1899.

Visit the W. Wilfred Campbell artist page at /artist/w-wilfred-campbell for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.