Thomas Hardy: Collected Lyrics
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Public-domain lyrics

The Temporary the All

Thomas Hardy

“The Temporary the All” as printed in Wessex Poems and Other Verses (1899).

Thomas Hardy: Collected Lyrics Text 41 1899 · historical text
Public domainSong lyricsWessex verse
Complete public-domain lyrics

This text comes from Wessex Poems and Other Verses, a historical songbook transcribed on Wikisource and reproduced from the pinned revision linked below.

Verse 1

CHANGE and chancefulness in my flowering youthtime,

Set me sun by sun near to one unchosen;

Wrought us fellowly, and despite divergence,

Friends interblent us.

Verse 2

"Cherish him can I while the true one forthcome—

Come the rich fulfiller of my prevision;

Life is roomy yet, and the odds unbounded."

So self-communed I.

Thwart my wistful way did a damsel saunter,

Fair not fairest, good not best of her feather:

"Maiden meet," held I, "till arise my forefelt

Wonder of women."

Long a visioned hermitage deep desiring,

Tenements uncouth I was fain to house in;

“Let such lodging be for a breath-while," thought I,

"Soon a more seemly.

"Then, high handiwork will I make my lifedeed,

Truth and Light outshow; but the ripe time pending,

Intermissive aim at the thing sufficeth."

Thus I . . . But lo, me!

Verse 3

Mistress, friend, place, aims to be bettered straightway,

Bettered not has Fate or my hand's achieving;

Sole the showance those of my onward earthtrack—

Never transcended!

Credits

Written by Thomas Hardy

Words by Thomas Hardy. Historical text published in Wessex Poems and Other Verses (1899); public domain. No claim to a modern recording or arrangement.

Source & text edition

Wessex Poems and Other Verses (1899), “The Temporary the All”

The 1899 published edition is in the public domain in the United States (pre-1931 publication). Thomas Hardy (1840-1928) died more than 96 years ago and his works entered the public domain in life-plus-70 jurisdictions in 1999; entries credited to other hands are held unless their author died more than 70 years ago.

How to read this historical text and its source

Read the source on Wikisource

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Retrieved 2026-10-27. Line spacing and section labels are adapted for reading. The displayed text follows the linked edition. Editorial notes and abstract artwork are by 52lyrics.
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