John Coolidge Adams - Day Chorus

Is not the day made to disperse their grief?
Is not the day made to disperse their grief?
Light covers the mourners as dirt covers the dead
And brings them to themselves
They have been tried, they have been tried

This was a country of inaccessible mountains
Of vineyards and pastures where they cultivated the land
To the very edge of the river, and the river never flooded
And was perennial

What became of that woman who stared at us
With ash smeared on her temple?
The sun which filled her dark veil has divided her body among those who loved her
Among those who loved her
Among those who loved her underground

The sun which saw her waiting till dark to eat
Has put her in the dark and made her verminous
And made her verminous
The sun, the sun

And as she dedicated her life to observance
The sun, which enjoyed her ecstasy, made her black clothes green
Like the neck of a starling
We thought those young men had forgotten one another
Had forgotten one another
We thought those young men had forgotten one another
But they have lifted that beam
But they have lifted that beam

Broken cement and sand slide into the hole
From which a voice was heard
As if an antlion, an antlion had caused them to give way
To give way, to give way