by John Ray (1627 - 1705)
Butterflies
Language: English
You ask me: "What is the use of butterflies?" I reply: "To admire the world, And to delight the eyes of men; To brighten the country, Like so many golden stars; To contemplate Their exquisite beauty and variety Is to acknowledge and adore The imprint of the art of God."
Authorship:
- by John Ray (1627 - 1705) [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 Elizabeth Maconchy (1907 - 1994), "Butterflies", 1986, published 1986. [voice and piano] [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2012-02-10
Line count: 11
Word count: 50