by Gerald Gould (1885 - 1936)
The happy tree
Language: English
There was a bright and happy tree ; The wind with music laced its boughs : Thither across the houseless sea Came singing birds to house. Men grudged the tree its happy eves, Its happy dawns of eager sound ; So all that crown and tower of leaves They levelled with the ground. They made an upright of the stem, A cross-piece of a bough they made : No shadow of their deed on them The fallen branches laid. But blithely, since the year was young, When they a fitting hill did find, There on the happy tree they hung The Saviour of mankind.
Authorship:
- by Gerald Gould (1885 - 1936), "The happy tree", first published 1919 [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 Ivor (Bertie) Gurney (1890 - 1937), "The happy tree", published 1952. [voice and piano] [text not verified]
- by Ann Hamerton , "The happy tree", published 1955. [voice and piano] [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-12-11
Line count: 16
Word count: 104