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by Stephen Collins Foster (1826 - 1864)

Poor drooping maiden
Language: English 
Poor drooping maiden sighing on a bright summer's day 
Alone in sorrow all day long, 
Thine eyes from light, thine ears from song; 
Why are thy frail hands toiling the hours away? 
Found in a dreary home, 
Bound to a weary doom 
Why are thy frail hands toiling the hours away! 

Chorus: 
Poor drooping maiden sighing on a bright summer's day, 
Poor drooping maiden sighing on a bright summer's day. 

Poor drooping maiden sighing on a bright summer's day 
The birds are out with songs and glee 
And gladness lurks in bush and tree 
Where is thy pure voice that once was so light and gay? 
Come roam the laughing hills! 
Come see the dancing rills! 
Where is thy pure voice that once was so light and gay? 

Poor drooping maiden sighing on a bright summer's day 
The flowers are out upon the lea 
And balmy winds are on the sea 
Come let thy sad heart warm in the sun's king ray! 
See how the reapers toil, 
Gaily they've tilled the soil, 
Come let thy sad heart warm in the suns kind ray!

Text Authorship:

  • by Stephen Collins Foster (1826 - 1864), "Poor drooping maiden" [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 Stephen Collins Foster (1826 - 1864), "Poor drooping maiden", published 1860. [voice and piano] [
     text verified 1 time
    ]

Researcher for this page: Laura Prichard [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2015-12-26
Line count: 24
Word count: 183

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