by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
To fair Fidele's grassy tomb
Language: English
To fair Fidele's grassy tomb Soft maids and village hinds shall bring Each op'ning sweet of earliest bloom, And rifle all the breathing spring. No wailing ghosts shall dare appear, To vex with shrieks this quiet grove; But shepherd lads assemble here, And melting virgins own their love. No wither'd witch shall here be seen, No goblins lead their nightly crew. The female fays shall haunt the green And dress the grave with early dew. The red-breast oft at ev'ning hours Shall kindly lend his little aid. With hoary moss and gather'd flow'rs To deck the ground where thou art laid. When howling winds and beating rain In tempest shake the sylvan cell, Or midst the chase on every plain, The tender thought on thee shall dwell. Each lonely scene shall thee restore; For thee the tear be duly shed, Belov'd, till life could charm no more And mourn'd till pity's self be dead.
Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked 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 Thomas Augustine Arne (1710 - 1778), "To fair Fidele's grassy tomb" [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: John Glenn Paton [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-01-28
Line count: 24
Word count: 154