Perhaps you'd like to buy a flower,
But I could never sell --
If you would like to borrow,
Until the Daffodil
Unties her yellow Bonnet
Beneath the village door,
Until the Bees, from Clover rows
Their Hock, and Sherry, draw,
Why, I will lend until just then,
But not an hour more!
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by James Fitzwilliam (b. 1963), "Perhaps you'd like to buy a flower", 2002, from Three Flower Songs, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Adolphus Cunningham Hailstork (b. 1941), "Perhaps you'd like to buy a flower", 2004 [ voice and piano ], from Summer. Life. Song. -- 1. Summer Songs, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Juliana Hall (b. 1958), "Perhaps you'd like to buy a flower ", 2010 [ soprano and piano ], from Upon this Summer's Day -- 8 songs for Soprano and Piano, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by George Perle (1915 - 2009), "Perhaps you'd like to buy a flower", 1977 [ voice and piano ], from Thirteen Dickinson Songs, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gitta Steiner (1932 - 1990), "Perhaps you'd like to buy a flower", published 1971 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Five Poems for Mixed Chorus [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Guy Laffaille
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 10
Word count: 52
Peut-être voudriez-vous acheter une fleur,
Mais je ne pourrais jamais la vendre --
Si vous vouliez emprunter,
Jusqu'à ce que la Jonquille
Dénoue son Bonnet jaune
Sous la porte du village,
Jusqu'à ce que les Abeilles, depuis les rangées de Trèfle
Extraient leur Vin du Rhin, et leur Sherry,
Eh bien, je prêterai jusque là
Mais pas une heure de plus !
