by Ian Serraillier (1912 - 1994)
The hen and the carp
Language: English
Once, in a roostery there lived a speckled, and when- ever she laid an egg this hen ecstatically cried: 'O progeny miraculous, particular spectaculous, what a wonderful hen am I!' Down in a pond nearby perchance a fat and broody carp was basking, but her ears where sharp -- she heard Dame Cackle cry: 'O progeny miraculous, particular spectaculous, what a wonderful hen am I!' 'Ah, Cackle,' bubbled she, 'for your single egg, O silly one, I lay at least a million; suppose for each I cried: "O progeny miraculous, particular spectaculous!" what a hullaballoo there'd be!'
Text Authorship:
- by Ian Serraillier (1912 - 1994), "The hen and the carp" [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 Elizabeth Maconchy (1907 - 1994), "The hen and the carp", published c1980, first performed 1980 [SATB chorus a cappella], from Creatures, no. 1, London : Chester Music [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2011-01-16
Line count: 18
Word count: 96