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Six Spiritual Songs

Song Cycle by Rutland Boughton (1878 - 1960)

?. St. Bride's milking song  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Give up thy milk to her who calls
Across the low green hills of Heaven
And stream-cool meads of Paradise !

Across the low green hills of Heaven
How sweet to hear the milking call,
The milking call i' the meads of Heaven:

Stream-cool the meads of Paradise,
Across the low green hills of Heaven.

Give up thy milk to her who calls,
Sweet voiced amid the Starry Seven,
Give up thy milk to her who calls !

Text Authorship:

  • by William Sharp (1855 - 1905), as Fiona Macleod, "Milking Sian", appears in From the Hills of Dream, first published 1896

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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

?. Song of Easter  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
The stars wailed when the reed was born,
And heaven wept at the birth of the thorn:
Joy was pluckt like a flower and torn,
For Time foreshadowed Good-Friday Morn.
But the stars laughed like children free
And heaven was hung with the rainbow's glee
When at Easter Sunday, so fair to see,
Time bowed before Eternity.

Text Authorship:

  • by William Sharp (1855 - 1905), as Fiona Macleod, "Easter", appears in The Hour of Beauty, first published 1907

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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

?. The bird of Christ  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Holy, Holy, Holy,
Christ upon the Cross:
My little nest was near,
Hidden in the moss.

Holy, Holy, Holy,
Christ was pale and wan:
His eyes beheld me singing
Bron, Bron, mo Bron!

Holy, Holy, Holy,
Come near, O wee brown bird!"
Christ spake, and lo, I lighted
Upon the Living Word.

Holy, Holy, Holy,
I heard the mocking scorn!
But Holy, Holy, Holy,
I sang against a thorn!

Holy, Holy, Holy,
Ah, his brow was bloody:
Holy, Holy, Holy,
All my breast was ruddy.

Holy, Holy, Holy,
Christ's-Bird shalt thou be:
Thus said Mary Virgin
There on Calvary.

Holy, Holy, Holy,
A wee brown bird am I:
But my breast is ruddy
For I saw Christ die.

Holy, Holy, Holy,
By this ruddy feather,
Colum, call thy monks, and
All the birds together.

Text Authorship:

  • by William Sharp (1855 - 1905), as Fiona Macleod, "The bird of Christ", appears in From the Hills of Dream, first published 1896

See other settings of this text.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

?. St. Bride's Cradle Song  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Oh, Baby Christ, so dear to me,
Sang Briget Bride:
How sweet thou art,
My baby dear,
Heart of my heart!

Heavy her body was with thee,
Mary, beloved of One in Three -- 
Sang Briget Bride -- 
Mary, who bore thee, little lad:
But light her heart was, light and glad
With God's love clad.

Sit on my knee,
Sang Briget Bride:
Sit here
O Baby dear,
Close to my heart, my heart:
For I thy foster-mother am,
My helpless lamb!

O have no fear,
Sang good St. Bride.
None, none,
No fear have I:
So let me cling
Close to thy side
While thou dost sing,
O Briget Bride!

My Lord, my Prince, I sing:
My Baby dear, my King!
Sang Briget Bride.

Text Authorship:

  • by William Sharp (1855 - 1905), as Fiona Macleod, "St. Bride's lullaby", appears in From the Hills of Dream, first published 1896

See other settings of this text.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Total word count: 390
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