by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894)
The first spring day
Language: English
I wonder if the sap is stirring yet,
If wintry birds are dreaming of a mate,
If frozen snowdrops feel as yet the sun
And crocus fires are kindling one by one:
Sing, robin, sing;
I still am sore in doubt concerning Spring.
I wonder if the springtide of this year
Will bring another Spring both lost and dear;
If heart and spirit will find out their Spring,
Or if the world alone will bud and sing:
Sing, hope, to me;
Sweet notes, my hope, soft notes for memory.
The sap will surely quicken soon or late,
The tardiest bird will twitter to a mate;
So Spring must dawn again with warmth and bloom,
Or in this world, or in the world to come:
Sing, voice of Spring,
Till I too blossom and rejoice and sing.
Text Authorship:
- by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830 - 1894), "The first spring day", appears in Goblin Market and other Poems, first published 1862 [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 Murray MacDonald Davey , "The first spring day", published 1901 [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Hugill , "The first spring day" [ mezzo-soprano, viola, piano ], from Quickening, no. 6 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Alexander Campbell MacKenzie, Sir (1847 - 1935), "The first spring day", published 1878 [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Montague Fawcett Phillips (1885 - 1969), "The first spring day", published 1954 [ voice and piano (or SSA chorus a cappella) ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henry (Richard Charles) Somerset, Lord (1849 - 1932), "The first spring day", published 1895 [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2006-01-19
Line count: 18
Word count: 136