by William James Linton (1812 - 1897)
The Happy Land!
Language: English
The Happy Land! Studded with cheerful homesteads, fair to see, With garden grace and household symmetry : How grand the wide-brow'd peasant's lordly mien, The matron's smile serene ! O happy, happy Land ! The Happy Land! Half-hid in the dewy grass the mower blithe Sings to the day-star as he whets his scythe; And to his babes at eventide again Carols as blithe a strain. O happy, happy Land! The Happy Land ! Where in the golden sheen of autumn eves The bright hair'd children play among the sheaves; Or gather ripest apples all the day, As ruddy-cheek'd as they. O happy, happy Land ! O Happy Land ! The thin smoke curleth through the frosty air; The light smiles from the windows : hearken there To the white grandsire's tale of heroes old, To flame-eyed listeners told. O happy, happy Land ! O Happy, Happy Land ! The tender-foliaged alders scarcely shade Yon loitering lover and glad blushing maid. O happy Land I, the spring that quickens thee Is human liberty. O happy, happy Land !
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Authorship:
- by William James Linton (1812 - 1897), "The Happy Land", appears in Claribel and Other Poems, first published 1865 [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 John (Nicholson) Ireland (1879 - 1962), "O happy Land!", 1941, published 1941. [voice and orchestra or strings] [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-04-17
Line count: 30
Word count: 178