The Song of Wandering Aengus. Words by W.B.Yeats. Spoken by Michael Gambon

The Song of Wandering Aengus
By William Butler Yeats

I went out to the hazel wood,
Because a fire was in my head,
And cut and peeled a hazel wand,
And hooked a berry to a thread;
And when white moths were on the wing,
And moth-like stars were flickering out,
I dropped the berry in a stream
And caught a little silver trout.

When I had laid it on the floor
I went to blow the fire a-flame,
But something rustled on the floor,
And someone called me by my name:
It had become a glimmering girl
With apple blossom in her hair
Who called me by my name and ran
And faded through the brightening air.

Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands,
I will find out where she has gone,
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done,
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.

[FairyEncounters]

Without doubt the loveliest reading of this beautiful poem I have ever heard. RIP Michael Gambon.

[bridad]

Through the prism of these words I look forward to a moment when I am looking back at the sweetness of life, seeing it stretching out behind me, but not ahead of me. When that moment arrives, I will recite this poem and move confidenttly toward whatever awaits, grateful to be accompanied by these words.

[bramberboy]

RIP Michael always loved your wonderful voice and acting 😢

[chrisshir]

Yeats and Gambon -- perfection. I watch and listen several times per week ... and get choked up every time.

[MindinViolet]

Utterly beautiful. I was moved to tears.

[dennisthayer]

I think of my late wife every time I read this poem. I read it quite a bit.

[ivanoday]

The human heart is a wild place. This reading reminds me the heart reaches to great heights, and that only by going there, only by way of the heart, the imperatives of the heart, the attachments that break us and form us do we really become human. I'd forgotten. So much of what I'd hunted and lured and trapped and murdered and lost in the eternity of youth, in the moonlight of reason, the sunlight of make believe, science, politics, and craft, until the crunching under my feet became finally unintelligible. So much have I forgotten.

[cathyroach]

I was born deaf and my ex-husband had me to listen the Irish songs and I did enjoy the beautiful songs and I like Scottish songs, too. and then when I listened to Herb Albert's songs and then my ex-husband wanted to test me to see if I recognize the American music which he did and he fell out of the chair when I listened to that song and did recognize Herb Albert's song. He was so happy that I can hear the music and recognize Herb's song. Now I hardly listen to any songs after we were divorced and he has passed away. I missed to listen the songs as I have no hearing aids. Smile.

[eamonnmorris]

"The silver apples of the moon ... the golden apples of the sun ..." what a powerful ending to a magical poem! I've had them in my head for forty years. I hear them best in my imagination/ inner voice ...it's always a little strange when someone else is actually reciting them ... with that said, this is still a pleasing presentation ... voice, visuals and music (how about that swan ... for anyone who knows Yeats' work that piece alone is mindblowing!)

[RebelofIreland]

An Ireland I will always feel part of. The spiritual side of Ireland, where I want to wander in my afterlife. But as for modern Ireland? I left twenty years ago and no longer feel a part of the culture or have an understanding of how and why poeple there think the way they do. . I am a stranger now in strange lands and will remain so. But the Celtic/mystical Ireland? Time, distance and dislocation can never take that from me.

[mattw]

Impressive reading overwhelmed by superfluous, background music, blunting the imagery created by the words.

[JaceJacobs]

I always have smiles when there is a positive reference to a girl, the Moon, and the Sun. Beautiful poem. Peace, Love, Namaste

[ithila]

The transient illusions of youth and beauty

[laurencehutchman]

Stirring rendition of this poignant, haunting early Yeats's poem. Very fine correspondence of the poem with video.

[burakk]

i discovered this poem under favour of Ray Bradbury. I was in bookstore and i saw his book called "Golden Apples of the Sun" and the book attracted me cause its cover was beautiful and its name caught my attention. i red that author's other books before so i knew that book couldn't be bad so I bought it. When i went back home I just saw that poem's last verses on the first page and I googled it and found out that all poem and this video. Now I listen this before sleeping.

[caitlintervet]

Great poem, Great voice thank you WB and MG unforgettable.

[SpiritSeekersIL]

This is and will always be my favorite poem, ever since discovering it my 9th grade English book.

[alexisfernandez]

Precioso poema, muy bien recitado, y magnífico vídeo.
Wonderful!

[jackibortoft]

As a long time admirer of MG I flashed him a smile when I saw him emerging from a secondhand bookshop on the east coast. In return I got a fabulous scowl, So funny, I still think he's brilliant!

[pokemaster]

I have come back to this a thousand times. It’s balm. Rest well, Michael.