The city child | Dainty little maiden | Dainty little maiden, whither would you wander?

Dainty little maiden, whither would you...

Language: English

Dainty little maiden, whither would you wander?
    Whither from this pretty home, the home where mother dwells?
"Far and far away," said the dainty little maiden,
"All among the gardens, auriculas, anemones,
    Roses and lilies and Canterbury-bells."

Dainty little maiden, whither would you wander?
    Whither from this pretty house, this city-house of ours?
"Far and far away," said the dainty little maiden,
"All among the meadows, the clover and the clematis,
    Daisies and kingcups and honeysuckle-flowers."

About the headline (FAQ)

First published without a title in St. Nicholas, February 1880 as one of the "Child Songs", revised 1884

Text Authorship:

by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892), "The city child", appears in Child-Songs, first published 1880 [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 Edgar Leslie Bainton (1880 - 1956), "The city child", published 1926 [ unison chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by (Edward) Maurice Besly (1888 - 1945), "Dainty little maiden" [ vocal duet with piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Gordon Ware Binkerd (1916 - 2003), "The city child", 1976 [ STB chorus a cappella ], from Choral Strands [sung text not yet checked]
by Ernest Bullock, Sir (1890 - 1979), "City child", published 1952 [ SS chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Robert Coningsby Clarke (1879 - 1934), "Dainty little maiden", published 1903 [ voice and piano ], from Song-Cameos [sung text not yet checked]
by Lawrance Arthur Collingwood (1887 - 1982), "Dainty little maiden", published 1939 [ unison chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by David De Lloyd (1883 - 1948), "Dainty little maiden", published 1945 [ voice and piano ], from Two Songs, also set in Welsh (Cymraeg) [sung text not yet checked]
by Thomas Frederick Dunhill (1877 - 1946), "Dainty little maiden", published 1915 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by A. Favara , "Dainty little maiden", published 1919 [ high voice or medium voice and piano ], from Two Lyrics, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Percy Eastman Fletcher (1879 - 1932), "The city child", published 1926 [ soprano and piano ], from Four Tennyson Lyrics [sung text not yet checked]
by Joseph Groocock , "The city-child", published <<1953 [ unison chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Marjorie Helyer , "Dainty little maiden", published 1957 [ unison chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Trevor Hold (1939 - 2004), "The city child", 1967 [ unison chorus and piano ], from Sevens [sung text not yet checked]
by Sidney Homer (1864 - 1953), "The city child", op. 8 (Eight Poems by Tennyson) no. 1, published 1901 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by J. Frederick Keel (1871 - 1954), "Dainty little maiden", 1908?, published 1949 [ junior unison chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Robert Houston Macdonald , "The city child", published 1917 [ unison chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Arthur Somervell, Sir (1863 - 1937), "Dainty little maiden", published 1901 [ voice and piano ], from Love in Spring-Time, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
by Charles Villiers Stanford, Sir (1852 - 1924), "The city child", op. 112 (Four songs) no. 3, published 1908 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Emily Tennyson, née Sellwood (1813 - 1896), "Dainty little maiden", published 1880 [ voice and piano ], from Two Child Songs [sung text not yet checked]
by Laura Wickes , "Dainty little maiden", published 1914 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Becket Williams , "The city child", published 1927 [ voice and piano ], from Two Child Songs [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in Welsh (Cymraeg), a translation by T. H. Parry-Williams ; composed by David De Lloyd.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2007-06-14
Line count: 10
Word count: 76