by William Brighty Rands (1823 - 1882)

Cuckoo in the Pear‑Tree
 (Sung text for setting by G. Ligeti)
 See original
Language: English 
The Cuckoo sat in the old pear-tree.
				Cuckoo!
Raining or snowing, naught cared he.
				Cuckoo!
    Cuckoo, cuckoo, naught cared he.

The Cuckoo flew over a housetop high.
				Cuckoo!
"Dear, are you at home, for here am I?
				Cuckoo!
    Cuckoo, cuckoo, here am I."

"I dare not open the door to you.
				Cuckoo!
Perhaps you are not the right cuckoo?
				Cuckoo!
    Cuckoo, cuckoo, the right Cuckoo."

"I am the right Cuckoo, the proper one.
				Cuckoo!
For I am my father's only son,
				Cuckoo!
Cuckoo, cuckoo, his only son."

"If you are your father's only son —
				Cuckoo!
	The bobbin pull tightly,
	Come through the door lightly —
				Cuckoo!

    "If you are your father's only son —
				Cuckoo!
It must be you, the only one —
	Cuckoo, cuckoo, my own Cuckoo!
				Cuckoo!"

Composition:

    Set to music by György Ligeti (1923 - 2006), "Cuckoo in the Pear-Tree", 1988-1993, first performed 1988 [ chorus ], from Nonsense Madrigals, no. 4, Schott Music

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 30
Word count: 132