by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Butterflies
Language: English
At sixteen years she knew no care; How could she, sweet and pure as light? And there pursued her ev’rywhere Butterflies, butterflies all white. A lover looked—she dropped her eyes, That glowed like pansies wet with dew, And lo! there came from out the skies Butterflies, butterflies all blue. Before she guessed, her heart was gone; The tale of love was swiftly told, And all about her wheeled and shone Butterflies of gold. Then he forsook her one sad morn; She wept and sobbed, “Oh love, come back!” There only came to her forlorn, Butterflies, butterflies all black.
No author listed on Hadley's score, instead noting the poem is "From 'For the Crown'"
Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [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 Henry Kimball Hadley (1871 - 1937), "Butterflies", op. 53 (Three Songs) no. 1, published 1911 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-02-14
Line count: 16
Word count: 98