Poem In memoriam L. K. A. 1950–1952
author: Auden, Wystan Hugh
language: en
availability: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) Copyright by the Estate of W. H. Auden. By courtesy of the Estate of W. H. Auden. (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)

[^1] At peace under this mandarin, sleep, Lucina,
Blue-eyed Queen of white cats: for you the Ischian wave shall weep
When we who now miss you are American dust and steep
Epomeo in peace and war augustly a grave-watch keep

[^1: This poem entitled In Memoriam L. K. A. 1950–1952 was written by Auden in memoriam of L. K. A.: Lucina, Kallman and Auden's cat. This poem was one of the Three Auden Songs for Tenor and Piano set to music by Hans Werner Henze in 1983, after both Auden and Kallman were dead.]

written out for me by W. during one of my visits in Kirchstetten, in order to explain the (I believe Icelandian) meter and sound system of this poem

7

[Back side printed with the program of the record with artists from La Scala, Milan, as guests at the Vienna State Opera, recorded for Columbia and His Master's Voice.]