by Alfred Edward Housman (1859 - 1936)
Oh see how thick the goldcup flowers
Language: English
Oh see how thick the goldcup flowers Are lying in field and lane, With dandelions to tell the hours That never are told again. Oh may I squire you round the meads And pick you posies gay? - 'Twill do no harm to take my arm. "You may, young man, you may." Ah, spring was sent for lass and lad, 'Tis now the blood runs gold, And man and maid had best be glad Before the world is old. What flowers to-day may flower to-morrow, But never as good as new. - Suppose I wound my arm right round - "'Tis true, young man, 'tis true." Some lads there are, 'tis shame to say, That only court to thieve, And once they bear the bloom away 'Tis little enough they leave. Then keep your heart for men like me And safe from trustless chaps. My love is true and all for you. "Perhaps, young man, perhaps." Oh, look in my eyes, then, can you doubt? - Why, 'tis a mile from town. How green the grass is all about! We might as well sit down. - Ah, life, what is it but a flower? Why must true lovers sigh? Be kind, have pity, my own, my pretty, - "Good-bye, young man, good-bye."
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Alfred Edward Housman (1859 - 1936), no title, appears in A Shropshire Lad, no. 5, first published 1896 [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 Alfred Redgrave Cripps (1882 - 1950), "Oh see how thick the goldcup flowers", published <<1940 [ voice and piano ], from Nine "Shropshire Lad" Songs [sung text not yet checked]
- by Mervyn, Lord Horder, the Second Baron of Ashford (1910 - 1998), "Goldcups", from A Shropshire Lad, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Wilfred Orr (1893 - 1976), "Oh see how thick the goldcup flowers", 1939, published 1940 [ tenor and piano ], from Three Songs from "A Shropshire Lad", no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Richard Tauber (1891 - 1948), "The Shropshire Lad", 1963 [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958), "Good-bye", 1927, published 1954, rev. 1954 [ voice and violin ], from Along the Field, no. 6 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by John Ramsden Williamson (1929 - 2015), "Oh see how thick the goldcup flowers" [ baritone and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 32
Word count: 212