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by Metta Victoria Fuller (1831 - 1885)

The spirit of my song
Language: English 
Tell me, have you ever met her
Met the spirit of my song?
Have her wave like footsteps glided
Through the city’s worldly throng?

You will know her by a wreath,
Woven all of starry light,
That is lying mid her hair
Braided hair as dark as night.

Tell me, have you ever met her
Met the spirit of my song?
Have her wave like footsteps glided
Through the city's worldly throng?

A short band of radiant summers
Is upon her forehead laid,
Twining half in golden sunlight,
Sleeping hair in dreamy shade:

Five white fingers clasp a lyre,
Five its silv'ry strings awake,
And bewildering to the soul
Is the music that they make.

Tell me have you ever met her
Met the spirit &c.

Though her glances sleep like shadows
'Neath each falling, silken lash,
Yes, at aught that wakes resentment,
They magnificently flash.

Though you loved such dewy dream-light,
And such glance of sweet surprise,
You could never bear the scorn
Of those proud and brilliant eyes.

Tell me &c

There's a sweet and winning cunning
In her bright lip's crimson hue,
And a flitting tint of roses
From her soft cheek gleaming through:

Do you think that you have met her?
She is young and pure and fair,
And she wears a wreath of starlight
In her braided ebon hair.

Tell me, have you ever me her &c.

Often at her feet I'm sitting,
With my head upon her knee,
While she tells me dreams of beauty
In low words of melody:

And, when my unskillful fingers
Strive her silvery lyre to wake,
She will smooth my tresses, smiling
At the discord which I make.

Tell me &c

But of late days I have missed her
The bright being of my love
And perchance she's stolen pinions
And has floated up above.

Tell me have you ever met her
Met the spirit of my song?
Have her wavelike footsteps glided
Through the city's worldly throng?

Text Authorship:

  • by Metta Victoria Fuller (1831 - 1885) [author's text not yet checked 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), "The spirit of my song", published 1850. [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: 57
Word count: 329

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