My heart is like a singing bird Whose nest is in a watered shoot; My heart is like an apple tree Whose boughs are bent with thickset fruit; My heart is like a rainbow shell That paddles in a [purple]1 sea; My heart is gladder than all these Because my love is come to me. Raise me a dais of [silk and down]2; Hang it with vair and purple dyes; Carve it in doves and pomegranates, And peacocks with a hundred eyes; Work it in gold and silver grapes, In leaves and [silver]3 fleur-de-lys; Because the birthday of my life Is come, my love, is come to me.
English Lyrics, Tenth Set
by Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, Sir (1848 - 1918)
1. My heart is like a singing bird  [sung text checked 1 time]
Language: English
Authorship:
- by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894), "A birthday"
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View original text (without footnotes)1 Aldridge, Hall: "halcyon"
2 Parry: "purple and gold"
3 Aldridge: "tiny"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
2. Gone were but the winter cold  [sung text checked 1 time]
Language: English
Gone were but the winter cold, And gone were but the snow, I could sleep in the wild woods Where primroses, primroses blow. Cold's the snow at my head, And cold at my feet; And the finger of death's at my e'en, Closing them to sleep. Let none tell my father, Or my mother so dear; I'll meet them both in Heaven At the spring of the year.
Authorship:
- by Allan Cunningham (1784 - 1842)
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]3. A moment of farewell
Language: English
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4. The child and the twilight
Language: English
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5. From a city window  [sung text checked 1 time]
Language: English
I hear the feet below In the dark street; They hurry and shuffle by, And go, on errands bitter or sweet, Whither I cannot know. A bird troubles the night From the green plane And in my breast again Vague memories of delight Arise from the spirit's night, And pass into it again And the hurrying restless feet Below On errands I cannot know, Like a great tide ebb and flow.
Authorship:
- by Langdon Elwyn Mitchell (1862 - 1935)
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Researcher for this page: Mike Pearson6. The ungentle guest  [sung text not yet checked]
Language: English
One silent night of late, When every creature rested, Came one unto my gate, And knocking, me molested. Who's that, said I, beats there, And troubles thus the sleepy? Cast off; said he, all fear, And let not locks thus keep ye. For I a boy am, who By moonless nights have swerved; And all with showers wet through, And e'en with cold half starved. I pitiful arose, And soon a taper lighted; And did myself disclose Unto the lad benighted. I saw he had a bow, And wings too, which did shiver; And looking down below, I spied he had a quiver. I to my chimney's shine Brought him, as Love professes, And chafed his hands with mine, And dried his dropping tresses. But when he felt him warm'd, Let's try this bow of ours And string, if they be harm'd, Said he, with these late showers. Forthwith his bow he bent, And wedded string and arrow, And struck me, that it went Quite through my heart and marrow Then laughing loud, he flew Away, and thus said flying, Adieu, mine host, adieu, I'll leave thy heart a-dying.
Authorship:
- by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674), "The cheat of Cupid; or, The ungentle guest"
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]Total word count: 436