After death - Swithinbank, Mick

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"Words: Seneca, translated by John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester. Composed 1986."

◈ Genre / Form → Art songs ♬ Voicing → SoloS ¶ Language → English

Parts 1

Instruments Piano

Pages 5

CPDL # 88873

Editor Mick Swithinbank

Posted 2026-04-08

License CPDL License

¶Lyrics / Text

(Seneca, translated by John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester) After Death nothing is and nothing Death, The utmost limits of a gasp of breath. Let th’ambitious zealot lay aside his hopes of Heav’n (whose Faith is but his pride). Let slavish souls lay by their fear, nor be concern’d which way or where after this life they shall be hurl’d. Dead, we become the lumber of the world And to that mass of matter shall be swept Where things destroy’d with things unborn are kept. Devouring Time swallows us whole. Impartial Death confounds Body and Soul. For Hell and the foul fiend that rules The everlasting fiery Geols, Devised by Rogues, dreaded by Fools, With his grim grisly dog that keeps the Door Are senseless stories, idle tales, Dreams, whimsies and no more.

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