by Arlo Bates (1850 - 1918)
The Water Lily
Language: English
Where the dark waters lave, Where the tall rushes wave, Safe from rude winds that rave, Floats the fair lily ; White as my sweetheart's breast, Pure as her dreamings blest, Lying in cradled rest, When night is stilly. Oft wooing comes the bee On light wings eagerly, Leaving the pleasant lea Luscious with clover ; Then to her heart of gold, 'Mid petals half unrolled, Fond doth the lily fold The amorous rover. Sweetheart, within thine arms Fold me with all thy charms, Safe from more rude alarms Than thy heart's beating. Let the sweet lily be Emblem for thee and me ; Be thou as kind as she In thy fond greeting !
Authorship:
- by Arlo Bates (1850 - 1918), "The Water Lily", appears in The Poet and His Self, in A Flower Cycle, no. 3, first published 1892 [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 George Whitefield Chadwick (1854 - 1931), "The Water Lily", 1892 [ voice and piano ], from A Flower Cycle, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-06-17
Line count: 24
Word count: 115