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by Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928)

Julie‑Jane
Language: English 
Sing; how 'a would sing!
How 'a would raise the tune
When we rode in the waggon from harvesting
By the light o' the moon!

Dance; how 'a would dance!
If a fiddlestring did but sound
She would hold out her coats, give a slanting glance,
And go round and round.

Laugh; how 'a would laugh!
Her peony lips would part
As if none such a place for a lover to quaff
At the deeps of a heart.

Julie, O girl of joy,
Soon, soon that lover he came.
Ah, yes; and gave thee a baby-boy,
But never his name . . .

-- Tolling for her, as you guess;
And the baby too . . . 'Tis well.
You knew her in maidhood likewise? -- Yes,
That's her burial bell.

"I suppose," with a laugh, she said,
"I should blush that I'm not a wife;
But how can it matter, so soon to be dead,
What one does in life!"

When we sat making the mourning
By her death-bed side, said she,
"Dears, how can you keep from your lovers, adorning
In honour of me!"

Bubbling and brightsome eyed!
But now -- O never again.
She chose her bearers before she died
From her fancy-men.

Text Authorship:

  • by Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928), "Julie-Jane", appears in Time's Laughingstocks and Other Verses, first published 1909 [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 Arnold Atkinson Cooke (1906 - 2005), "Julie-Jane" [ baritone and piano ], from Country Songs [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Juliana Hall (b. 1958), "Julie Jane", 2006 [ baritone and piano ], from Julie Jane -- 5 songs for Baritone and Piano, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-01-14
Line count: 32
Word count: 203

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