If love were what the rose is, And I were like the leaf, Our lives would grow together In sad or singing weather, Blown fields or flowerful closes, Green pleasure or grey grief; If love were what the rose is, And I were like the leaf. [ ... ] If you were April's lady, And I were lord in May, We 'd throw with leaves for hours And draw for days with flowers, Till day like night were shady And night were bright like day; If you were April's lady, And I were lord in May. [ ... ]
Two Songs by Algernon Charles Swinburne
Song Cycle by Victor Herbert (1859 - 1924)
1. If love were what the rose is  [sung text checked 1 time]
Authorship:
- by Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837 - 1909), "A match", appears in Poems and Ballads, first published 1866 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
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View original text (without footnotes)1 Foote: "and"
Research team for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler
2. Love laid his sleepless head  [sung text checked 1 time]
Love laid his sleepless head On a thorny [rosy bed]1; And his eyes with tears were red, And pale his lips as the dead. And fear and sorrow and scorn Kept watch by his head forlorn, Till the night was overworn And the [world]2 was merry with morn. And Joy came up with the day And kissed Love's lips as he lay, And the watchers ghostly and grey Sped from his pillow away. And his eyes as the dawn grew bright, And his lips waxed ruddy as light: Sorrow may reign for a night, But day shall bring back delight.
Authorship:
- by Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837 - 1909), "Song" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- HUN Hungarian (Magyar) (Dezső Kosztolányi) , "Álmatlan szerelem"
First published in Examiner, December 1874
1 Herbert: "rosebed"
2 Walton: "day"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Total word count: 380