It was the charming month of May,
When all the flow'rs were fresh and gay.
One morning, by the break of day,
The youthful, charming [Chloe]1 --
From peaceful slumber she arose,
Girt on her mantle and her hose,
And o'er the flow'ry mead she goes --
The youthful, charming Chloe.
Chorus:
[Lovely]2 was she by the dawn,
[Youthful Chloe, charming Chloe]3,
[Tripping]4 o'er the pearly lawn,
The youthful, charming Chloe.
The feather'd people you might see
Perch'd all around on every tree,
In notes of sweetest melody
They hail the charming Chloe;
Till, painting gay the eastern skies,
The glorious sun began to rise,
Outrival'd by the radiant eyes
Of youthful, charming Chloe.
Lovely was she, &c.
J. Haydn sets stanzas 2, 3 (beginning with the chorus)
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Burns, Robert. Poems and Songs. Vol. VI. The Harvard Classics. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1909–14; Bartleby.com, 2001. www.bartleby.com/6/490.html.
Tune: Daintie Davie
1 Haydn: "Anne", throughout
2 Haydn: "O lovely", throughout
3 Haydn: "The sweetly smiling charming Anne"
4 Haydn: "When tripping"
Authorship:
- by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The charming month of May", written 1794 [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 (Franz) Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809), "Green sleeves", Hob. XXXIa no. 112bis, JHW. XXXII/3 no. 262, stanzas 2,3 (beginning with the chorus), setting begins "O lovely was she by the dawn" [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Hermann Wolff (1845 - 1902) ; composed by Ignaz Brüll.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Josef Václav Sládek) , "Byl krásný máj"
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-04-02
Line count: 22
Word count: 116
Es war die schöne Maienzeit, die Blumen blüten weit und breit, der Morgen lacht' im Rosenkleid, erweckt die liebe Chloe. Von Kleid und Mantel leicht umhüllt, der reinsten Anmut Zauberbild, so schritt durch Blumen im Gefild die liebe kleine Chloe. Wie warst du im Morgengraun, liebe Chloe, kleine Chloe, reizend wahrlich anzuschaun, liebe Chloe, kleine Chloe. Der Vögel leichtes Völkchen, sieh! Umfliegt von allen Bäumen sie, und grüsst mit süßer Melodie die liebe kleine Chloe. Und selbst der Sonne strahlend Licht, das nun hervor am Himmel bricht, verdunkelt doch die Augen nicht der liebe kleine Chloe. Wie warst du im Morgengraun, ...
Authorship:
- by Hermann Wolff (1845 - 1902) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Scottish (Scots) by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "The charming month of May", written 1794
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Ignaz Brüll (1846 - 1907), "Die schöne Maienzeit", op. 32 (Drei Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1880 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Bote & Bock ; note: there may be an additional version of op. 32 no. 2, perhaps a different translation of the same text: Hofmeister shows another entry for op. 32 no. 2 with the incipit "Es war im Mai" [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Peter Donderwinkel
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-05
Line count: 21
Word count: 102