by Robert Seymour Bridges (1844 - 1930)
Thou didst delight my eyes
Language: English
Thou didst delight my eyes: Yet who am I? nor first Nor last nor best, that durst Once dream of thee for prize; Nor this the only time Thou shalt set love to rhyme. Thou didst delight my ear: Ah! little praise; thy voice Makes other hearts rejoice, Makes all ears glad that hear; And short my joy; but yet, O song, do not forget. For what were thou to me? How shall I say? The moon, That poured her midnight noon Upon his wrecking sea; - A sail, that for a day Has cheered the castaway.
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Text Authorship:
- by Robert Seymour Bridges (1844 - 1930), "Thou didst delight my eyes", appears in Poems, first published 1880 [author's text not yet checked 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 Frank Bridge (1879 - 1941), "Thou didst delight my eyes", c1905, first performed 1909, orchestrated 1906 [ baritone and piano or orchestra ], from Two Songs for High Baritone and Orchestra, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Chester Duncan (1913 - 2002), "Thou didst delight my eyes", 1938 [ baritone and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gerald Finzi (1901 - 1956), "Thou didst delight my eyes", 1951, published 1952 [ TBB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ivor (Bertie) Gurney (1890 - 1937), "Thou didst delight my eyes", 1918, published 1952 [ voice and piano ], from Five Songs, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Gustav Holst (1874 - 1934), "Thou didst delight mine eyes", published 1904 [ satb chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 96