by William Motherwell (1797 - 1835)
Facts from Fairyland
Language: English
Wouldst thou know of me Where our dwellings be? 'T is under this hill, Where the moonbeam chill Silvers the leaf and brightens the blade, -- 'Tis under this mound Of greenest ground, That our crystal palaces are made. Wouldst thou know of me What our food may be? 'T is the sweetest breath Which the bright flower hath, That blossoms in wilderness afar, -- And we sip it up, In a harebell cup, By the winking light of the tweering star. Wouldst thou know of me What our drink may be? 'T is the freshest dew, And the clearest, too, That ever hung on leaf or flower; And merry we skink That wholesome drink, Thorough the quiet of the midnight hour. Wouldst thou know of me, What our pastimes be? 'T is the hunt and halloo, The dim greenwood through; O, bravely we prance it with hound and horn, O'er moor and fell, And hollow dell, Till the notes of our Woodcraft wake the morn. Wouldst thou know of me What our garments be? 'T is the viewless thread, Which the gossamers spread As they float in the cool of a summer eve bright, And the down of the rose, Form doublet and hose For our Squires of Dames on each festal night. Wouldst thou know of me When our revelries be? 'T is in the still night, When the moonshine white Glitters in glory o'er land and sea, That, with nimble foot, To tabor and flute, We whirl with our loves round yon glad old tree.
Authorship:
- by William Motherwell (1797 - 1835), "Facts from Fairyland", subtitle: "'O then, I see. Queen Mab hath been with you!'", appears in Poems Narrative and Lyrical, Third Edition, Boston: William D. Ticknor & Company, first published 1844 [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):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Heinrich Julius Heintze (1811 - 1860) , "Kunde aus dem Feenlande", appears in William Motherwell's und Robert Tannahill's Gedichte, first published 1841 ; composed by Heinrich August Marschner.
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2012-04-09
Line count: 48
Word count: 256