by Sara Teasdale (1884 - 1933)
The kiss
Language: English
Before you kissed me only winds of heaven Had kissed me, and the tenderness of rain -- Now you have come, how can I care for kisses Like theirs again? I sought the sea, she sent her winds to meet me, They surged about me singing of the south -- I turned my head away to keep still holy Your kiss upon my mouth. And swift sweet rains of shining April weather Found not my lips where living kisses are; I bowed my head lest they put out my glory As rain puts out a star. I am my love's and he is mine forever, Sealed with a seal and safe forevermore -- Think you that I could let a beggar enter Where a king stood before?
Authorship:
- by Sara Teasdale (1884 - 1933), "The kiss", appears in Rivers to the Sea, first published 1915 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Herbert Fryer , "The kiss", published 1916 [voice and piano], from Five Songs [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-06-04
Line count: 16
Word count: 124