by Katharine Tynan (1861 - 1931)
Chestnut in April
Language: English
The chestnut is a candlestick Of arching clusters, rosy and thick, And branches branching wide and high Toward the smiling sky. Closed are the sweet-lip buds that hide A flame of mother-o'-pearl inside. Open, open, O rosy mouth! The wind is from the south. O wind, from Spring's own country blow, Till all the candles lit a-row, And all the candles lit a-ring, Make Christmas trees for Spring. The little candle-cups are made Of silver, rosy pearl, and jade. Each cup shall hold its light aloft, Moon-pale in wood and croft. Not finer in the sky above The heavenly candlestick, whereof The candles are the stars that keep Light while the sun's asleep. O chestnut, light your million lamps In fairy camps, in dew and damps, And draw the moths at eve to play Around their glimmering ray. O chestnut, light your lamps all pale, The nights are for the nightingale. Amid your lamps Love's bower is made: Love's litanies are prayed. Too soon, too soon on hill and lawn, Like him who quenches lamps at dawn, Shall one blow out your lights and leave The woods to dusky eve.
Text Authorship:
- by Katharine Tynan (1861 - 1931), "Chestnut in April", appears in The Wind in the Trees - A Book of Country Verse, first published 1898 [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 Ivy Frances Klein, née Salaman (b. 1895), "Chestnut in April", subtitle: "A fantasy", published 1958 [ 2-part women's chorus and piano ], Augener [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2012-02-03
Line count: 32
Word count: 190