by Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928)
The dark‑eyed gentleman
Language: English
I pitched my day's leazings in Crimmercrock Lane, To tie up my garter and jog on again, When a dear dark-eyed gentleman passed there and said, In a way that made all o' me colour rose-red, "What do I see - O pretty knee!" And he came and he tied up my garter for me. 'Twixt sunset and moonrise it was, I can mind: Ah, 'tis easy to lose what we nevermore find! - Of the dear stranger's home, of his name, I knew nought, But I soon knew his nature and all that it brought. Then bitterly Sobbed I that he Should ever have tied up my garter for me! Yet now I've beside me a fine lissom lad, And my slip's nigh forgot, and my days are not sad; My own dearest joy is he, comrade, and friend, He it is who safe-guards me, on him I depend; No sorrow brings he, And thankful I be That his daddy once tied up my garter for me!
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Authorship:
- by Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928), "The dark-eyed gentleman", appears in Time's Laughingstocks and Other Verses, first published 1909 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss, Sir (1891 - 1975), "The dark-eyed gentleman", c1912 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hubert James Foss (1899 - 1953), "The dark-eyed gentleman", published 1925 [ tenor, baritone, TBar chorus, and piano ], from Seven Poems by Thomas Hardy [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-01-14
Line count: 21
Word count: 168