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by E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings (1894 - 1962)

thy fingers make early flowers
 (Sung text for setting by C. Dougherty)
 Matches original text
Language: English 
thy fingers make early flowers 
of all things.
thy hair mostly the hours love:
a smothness which
sings, saying 
(though love be a day)
do not fear, we will go amaying.

thy whitest feet crisply are straying.
always
thy moist eyes at kisses are playing,
whose strangeness much
says; singing
(though love be a day)
for which girl art thou flowers bringing?

to be thy lips is a sweet thing
and small.
Death, thee i call rich beyond wishing
if this thou catch,
else missing.
(though love be a day
and life be nothing, it shall not stop kissing).

Composition:

    Set to music by Celius Dougherty (1902 - 1986), "thy fingers make early flowers" [ voice and piano ], G. Schirmer/Hal Leonard

Text Authorship:

  • by E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings (1894 - 1962), no title, appears in Tulips and Chimneys, in 1. Tulips, in 1. Songs, no. 3, first published 1923

See other settings of this text.


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 21
Word count: 99

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–Emily Ezust, Founder

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