This edition was prepared by James Crawford — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Dulce et Decorum Est
Staff Notation • Secular, Art songs
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Dulce et Decorum Est by James Crawford — Lyrics
Bent double, like old beggars under sacks,
Knockkneed, coughing like hags, we cursed through sludge,
Till on the haunting flares we turned our backs
And towards our distant rest began to trudge.
Men marched asleep. Many had lost their boots
But limped on, bloodshod. All went lame; all blind;
Drunk with fatigue; deaf even to the hoots
Of tired, outstipped FiveNines that dropped behind.
Gas! Gas! Quick, boys! — An ecstasy of fumbling,
Fitting the clumsy helmets just in time;
But someone still was yelling out and stumbling,
And flound'ring like a man in fire or lime…
Dim, through the misty panes and thin green light,
As under a green sea, I saw him drowning.
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About Dulce et Decorum Est
This setting of Wilfred Owen's powerful anti-war poem, Dulce et Decorum Est, is written for a duet of soprano and tenor voices. The composer James Crawford captures the visceral horror of the First World War, depicting the soldiers' brutal march and the terrifying immediacy of a gas attack. The text describes the scene with stark, unflinching imagery, from the soldiers 'cursed through sludge' to the drowning man 'under a green sea'. This dramatic and evocative art song would be a fitting choice for a concert programme exploring themes of conflict, remembrance, or the human cost of war. The intimate voicing allows for a deeply personal and moving interpretation of Owen's iconic verses.
