by Robert Underwood Johnson (1858 - 1937)
Before the blossom
Language: English
In the tassel-time of spring Love 's the only song to sing; Ere the ranks of solid shade Hide the bluebird's flitting wing, While in open forest glade No mysterious sound or thing Haunt of green has found or made, Love 's the only song to sing. Though in May each bush be dressed Like a bride, and every nest Learn Love's joyous repetend, Yet the half-told tale is best At the budding, -- with its end Much too secret to be guessed, And its fancies that attend April's passion unexpressed. Love and Nature communing Gave us Arcady. Still ring -- Vales across and groves among -- Wistful memories, echoing Pan's far-off and fluty song; Poet! nothing harsher sing; Be, like Love and Nature, young, In the tassel-time of spring.
Authorship:
- by Robert Underwood Johnson (1858 - 1937), "Before the blossom", appears in Saint-Gaudens: an ode, and other verse, first published 1914 [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 Clara Kathleen Rogers (1844 - 1931), "Before the blossom", published 1896 [voice and piano], Boston : Arthur P. Schmidt and Co. [text not verified]
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2011-07-22
Line count: 24
Word count: 127