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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

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