by Sarojini Naidu (1879 - 1949)
The Snake‑Charmer
Language: English
Whither dost thou hide from the magic of my flute-call? In what moonlight-tangled meshes of perfume, Where the clustering keovas guard the squirrel's slumber, Where the deep woods glimmer with the jasmine's bloom? I'll feed thee, O beloved, on milk and wild red honey, I'll bear thee in a basket of rushes, green and white, To a palace-bower where golden-vested maidens Thread with mellow laughter the petals of delight. Whither dost thou loiter, by what murmuring hollows, Where oleanders scatter their ambrosial fire? Come, thou subtle bride of my mellifluous wooing, Come, thou silver-breasted moonbeam of desire!
Confirmed with Sarojini Naidu, The Golden Threshold, London: William Heinemann, 1905.
Authorship:
- by Sarojini Naidu (1879 - 1949), "The Snake-Charmer", appears in The Golden Threshold, in 1. Folk Songs [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 Liza Lehmann (1862 - 1918), "The Snake-Charmer", published 1907 [ soprano and orchestra or flute and piano ], from The Golden Threshold, no. 6, London: Boosey & Hawkes [sung text checked 1 time]
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-05-02
Line count: 12
Word count: 97