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by Philip Morin Freneau (1752 - 1832)

On the sleep of plants
Language: English 
When suns are set, and stars in view,
Not only man to slumber yields ;
But Nature grants this blessing too,
To yonder plants, in yonder fields.

The Summer heats and lengthening days 
(To them the same as toil and care)
Thrice welcome make the evening breeze,
That kindly does their strength repair.

At early dawn each plant survey,
And see, revived by Nature's hand,
With youthful vigour, fresh and gay,
Their blossoms blow, their leaves expand.

Yon' garden plant, with weeds o'er-run,
Not void of thought, perceives its hour,
And, watchful of the parting sun,
Throughout the night conceals her flower.'

Like us, the slave of cold and heat,
She too enjoys her little span --
With Reason, only less complete
Than that which makes the boast of man.

Thus, moulded from one common clay,
A varied life adorns the plain;
By nature subject to decay,
BY NATURE MEANT TO BLOOM AGAIN!

Text Authorship:

  • by Philip Morin Freneau (1752 - 1832), "On the sleep of plants", from The Poems of Philip Freneau, first published 1902-7 [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 Frederick Jacobi (1891 - 1952), "On the sleep of plants", published 1955 [medium-high voice and piano], from Three songs, no. 1. [
     text not verified 
    ]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-09-01
Line count: 24
Word count: 155

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