by Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928)
The Orphaned Old Maid
Language: English
I wanted to marry, but father said, "No - 'Tis weakness in women to give themselves so; If you care for your freedom you'll listen to me, Make a spouse in your pocket, and let the men be." I spake on't again and again: father cried, "Why -- if you go husbanding, where shall I bide? For never a home's for me elsewhere than here!" And I yielded; for father had ever been dear. But now father's gone, and I feel growing old, And I'm lonely and poor in this house on the wold, And my sweetheart that was found a partner elsewhere, And nobody flings me a thought or a care.
Authorship:
- by Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928) [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 Betty Roe (b. 1930), "The Orphaned Old Maid", published 2005 [solo male voices and female voices and piano], from Three Hardy Conversations, no. 3. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Iain Sneddon [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-10-15
Line count: 12
Word count: 111