Ye Winged and Ye Finny

Joseph Haydn's oratorio, 'The Creation' depicts a newly formed world, teeming with life and flooded with light. Specifically, this piece visualises the following recitative:

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"And God created great whales, and ev’ry living creature that moveth, and God blessed them, saying: Be fruitful all and multiply! Ye winged tribes, be multiplied and sing on ev’ry tree! Multiply, ye finny tribes and fill each wat’ry deep! Be fruitful, grow and multiply! And in your God and Lord rejoice!"

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This illustration captures the celebratory nature of the recitative as numerous animals immerse in a community of life. The birds fly above, wind trailing behind their wings as they embrace the freshly formed sky, while ocean life thrives below, weaving through the beams of light that stream through the water.

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You can click on the image to magnify.