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by Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892 - 1950)

Not in a silver casket cool with pearls
 (Sung text for setting by J. Heggie)
 Matches base text
Language: English 
Not in a silver casket cool with pearls
Or rich with red corundum or with blue,
Locked, and the key withheld, as other girls
Have given their loves, I give my love to you;
Not in a lovers'-knot, not in a ring
Worked in such fashion, and the legend plain -- 
Semper fidelis, where a secret spring
Kennels a drop of mischief for the brain:
Love in the open hand, no thing but that,
Ungemmed, unhidden, wishing not to hurt,
As one should bring you cowslips in a hat
Swung from the hand, or apples in her skirt,
I bring you, calling out as children do:
"Look what I have! -- And these are all for you."

Composition:

    Set to music by Jake Heggie (b. 1961), "Not in a silver casket cool with pearls", 1999, first performed 1999 [ soprano and piano ], from Songs and Sonnets to Ophelia, no. 3

Text Authorship:

  • by Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892 - 1950)

See other settings of this text.


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-04-30
Line count: 14
Word count: 115

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