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

Authorship

• by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892), "The city child" [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 against a primary source]
• by (Edward) Maurice Besly (1888 - 1945), "Dainty little maiden" [vocal duet with piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• by Gordon Ware Binkerd (1916 - 2003), "The city child", 1976 [STB chorus a cappella], from Choral Strands [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• by Ernest Bullock, Sir (1890 - 1979), "City child", published 1952 [SS chorus and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• by Robert Coningsby Clarke (1879 - 1934), "Dainty little maiden", published 1903 [voice and piano], from Song-Cameos [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• by Lawrance Arthur Collingwood (1887 - 1982), "Dainty little maiden", published 1939 [unison chorus and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• 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 against a primary source]
• by Thomas Frederick Dunhill (1877 - 1946), "Dainty little maiden", published 1915 [voice and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• 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 against a primary source]
• by Percy Eastman Fletcher (1879 - 1932), "The city child", published 1926 [soprano and piano], from Four Tennyson Lyrics [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• by Joseph Groocock , "The city-child", published <<1953 [unison chorus and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• by Marjorie Helyer , "Dainty little maiden", published 1957 [unison chorus and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• by Trevor Hold (1939 - 2004), "The city child", 1967 [unison chorus and piano], from Sevens [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• 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 against a primary source]
• by J. Frederick Keel (1871 - 1954), "Dainty little maiden", 1908?, published 1949 [junior unison chorus and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• by Robert Houston Macdonald , "The city child", published 1917 [unison chorus and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• by Arthur Somervell, Sir (1863 - 1937), "Dainty little maiden", published 1901 [voice and piano], from Love in Spring-Time [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• by Arthur Somervell, Sir (1863 - 1937), "Dainty little maiden", published 1901 [voice and piano], from Twelve Tennyson Poems [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• by Charles Villiers Stanford, Sir (1852 - 1924), "The city child", published 1908 [voice and piano], from Four songs [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• by Emily Tennyson, née Sellwood (1813 - 1896), "Dainty little maiden", published 1880 [voice and piano], from Two Child Songs [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• by Laura Wickes , "Dainty little maiden", published 1914 [voice and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
• by Becket Williams , "The city child", published 1927 [voice and piano], from Two Child Songs [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

• Also set in Welsh (Cymraeg), a translation by T. H. Parry-Williams ; composed by David De Lloyd.
  • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
    

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

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