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by Shaemas O'Sheel (1886 - 1954)

The lover praises his lady's bright...
Language: English 
Some night I think if you should walk with me
Where the tall trees like ferns on the ocean’s floor
Sway slowly in the blue deeps of the moon’s flood,
I would put up my hands through that impalpable sea
And tear a branch of stars from the sky, as once I tore
A branch of apple blossoms for you in an April wood.

And I would bend the dewy branch of stars about your little head
Till they flamed with pride to be as blossoms amid your hair,
But I would laugh to see them so pale, being near your eyes.
I would say to you “Love, the Immortals are hovering about your head,
They laugh at the dimness of stars in the luminous night of your hair.”
I would toss that weeping branch back to the mournful skies.

Text Authorship:

  • by Shaemas O'Sheel (1886 - 1954), appears in Jealous of Dead Leaves [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 Timothy Hoekman , "The lover praises his lady's bright beauty", 2013, published 2016 [ baritone and piano ], from She Loves Me, She Loves Me Not, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this page: Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2020-08-29
Line count: 12
Word count: 140

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