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by Sara Teasdale (1884 - 1933)

The kiss
Language: English 
Before you kissed me only winds of heaven
      Had kissed me, and the tenderness of rain --
Now you have come, how can I care for kisses
      Like theirs again?

I sought the sea, she sent her winds to meet me,
      They surged about me singing of the south --
I turned my head away to keep still holy
      Your kiss upon my mouth.

And swift sweet rains of shining April weather
      Found not my lips where living kisses are;
I bowed my head lest they put out my glory
      As rain puts out a star.

I am my love's and he is mine forever,
      Sealed with a seal and safe forevermore --
Think you that I could let a beggar enter
      Where a king stood before?

Text Authorship:

  • by Sara Teasdale (1884 - 1933), "The kiss", appears in Rivers to the Sea, first published 1915 [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 Herbert Fryer , "The kiss", published 1916 [ voice and piano ], from Five Songs  [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-06-04
Line count: 16
Word count: 124

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