Merry Margaret
  As midsummer flower,
  Gentle as falcon
  Or hawk of the tower:
With solace and gladness,
Much mirth and no madness,
All good and no badness;
    So joyously,
    So maidenly,
    So womanly
    Her demeaning
    In every thing,
    Far, far passing
    That I can indite,
    Or suffice to write
  Of Merry Margaret
  As midsummer flower,
  Gentle as falcon
  Or hawk of the tower.
  As patient and still
  And as full of good will
  As fair Isaphill,
  Coliander,
  Sweet pomander,
  Good Cassander;
  Steadfast of thought,
  Well made, well wrought,
  Far may be sought,
  Ere that ye can find
  So courteous, so kind
  As merry Margaret,
  This midsummer flower,
  Gentle as falcon
  Or hawk of the tower.

About the headline (FAQ)

Isaphill = Hypsipyle
coliander = coriander seed, an aromatic.
pomander = a ball of perfume
Cassander = Cassandra

Text Authorship:

• by John Skelton (1460 - 1529), "To Mistress Margaret Hussey" [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 Geoffrey Bush (1920 - 1998), "Merry Margaret", 1976 [ tenor and soprano ], from A Little Love Music, no. 3, Confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text not yet checked]
• by Timothy Hoekman , "Merry Margaret", 1994, published 2009 [ soprano, mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Margarets, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
• by Herbert Norman Howells (1892 - 1983), "Merry Margaret", op. 43 no. 3 (1928), published 1929, first performed 1928 [ high voice and piano ], from In Green Ways, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, Sir (1848 - 1918), "Merry Margaret", op. 21 no. 6, published 1873 [ chorus ], from A Garland of Shakesperian and Other Old-Fashioned Songs, no. 6 [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-06-09
Line count: 34
Word count: 115