by Robert Seymour Bridges (1844 - 1930)
Haste on, my joys! your treasure lies
Language: English
Haste on, my joys! your treasure lies In swift, unceasing flight. O haste: for while your beauty flies I seize your full delight. Lo! I have seen the scented flower, Whose tender stems I cull, For her brief date and meted hour Appear more beautiful. O youth, O strength, O most divine For that so short ye prove; Were but your rare gifts longer mine, Ye scarce would win my love. Nay, life itself the heart would spurn, Did once the days restore The days, that once enjoyed return, Return, ah! nevermore.
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Text Authorship:
- by Robert Seymour Bridges (1844 - 1930), "Song", appears in The Shorter Poems of Robert Bridges, first published 1890, revised 1899 [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 David Campbell Dorward (b. 1933), "Haste on, my joys!" [soprano or tenor and piano], from Three Songs for High Voice and Piano [text not verified]
- by Gerald Finzi (1901 - 1956), "Haste on, my joys!", op. 17 no. 6, published 1934-37 [ssatb chorus a cappella], from Seven Unaccompanied Part Songs, no. 6. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 92