by Robert Underwood Johnson (1858 - 1937)
An Irish love song
Language: English
In the years about twenty (When kisses are plenty) The love of an Irish lass fell to my fate -- So winsome and slightly, So saucy and sprightly, The priest was a prophet that christened her Kate. Soft gray of the dawning, Bright blue of the morning, The sweet of her eye there was nothing to mate; A nose like a fairy's, A cheek like a cherry's, And a smile -- well, her smile was like -- nothing but Kate. To see her was passion, To love her, the fashion; What wonder my heart was unwilling to wait! And, daring to love her, I soon did discover A Katharine masking as mischievous Kate. No Katy unruly, But Katharine, truly -- Fond, serious, patient, and even sedate; With a glow in her gladness That banishes sadness -- Yet stay! Should I credit the sunshine to Kate? Love cannot outlive it, Wealth cannot o'ergive it -- That saucy surrender she made at the gate. O Time, be but human, Spare the girl in the woman! You gave me my Katharine -- leave me my Kate!
Authorship:
- by Robert Underwood Johnson (1858 - 1937), "An Irish love song" [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 Clara Kathleen Rogers (1844 - 1931), "An Irish love song", op. 34 (Six Folk Songs of Different Nationalities) no. 4, published 1900 [ voice and piano ], Boston : Arthur P. Schmidt and Co. [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2011-07-14
Line count: 30
Word count: 176