Sir Charles Villiers Stanford: Fairy Day (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


Fairies and Elves!
Gone is the night,
Shadows grow thin,
Branches are stirr'd;
Rouse up yourselves,
Sing to the light,
Fairies, begin, --
There goes a bird!

For dreams are now fading,
Old thoughts in new morning;
Dull spectres and goblins
To dungeon must fly.
The starry night changeth,
Its low stars are setting,
Its lofty stars dwindle
And hide in the sky.

Fairies, awake!
Light on the hills!
Blossom and grass
Tremble with dew ;
Gambols the snake,
Merry bird shrills,
Honey-bees pass,
Morning is new.

Pure joy of the cloudlets,
All rippled in crimson !
Afar over world's edge
The night-fear is roll'd;
O look how the Great One
Uplifts himself kingly;
At once the wide morning
Is flooded with gold!

Fairies, arouse!
Mix with your song
Harplet and pipe,
Thrilling and clear.
Swarm on the boughs!
Chant in a throng !
Morning is ripe,
Waiting to hear.

The merle and the skylark
Will hush for our chorus,
Quick wavelets of music,
Begin them anon!
Good-luck comes to all things
That hear us and hearken, --
Our myriads of voices
Commingling in one.

Golden, golden
Light unfolding,
Busily, merrily, work and play,
In flowery meadows, 
And forest-shadows,
All the length of a summer day!
All the length of a summer day!

Sprightly, lightly,
Sing we rightly!
Moments brightly hurry away !
Fruit-tree blossoms,
And roses' bosoms, --
Clear blue sky of a summer day!
Dear blue sky of a summer day !

Springlets, brooklets,
Greeny nooklets,
Hill and valley, and salt-sea spray !
Comrade rovers,
Fairy lovers, --
All the length of a summer day !
All the livelong summer day !

2. Fairy noon

Language: English

Authorship

William Allingham (1824-1889)

Songs, Ballads and Stories

Prince Brightkin


Hear the call!
Fays, be still!
Noon is deep
On vale and hill.
Stir no sound
The Forest round!
Let all things hush
That fly or creep, --
Tree and bush,
Air and ground!
Hear the call!
Silence keep !
One and all
Hush, and sleep !

3. Fairy night

Language: English

Authorship

William Allingham (1824-1889)

Songs, Ballads and Stories

Prince Brightkin


Moon soon sets now:
Elves cradled on the bough.
Day's fays drop asleep :
Dreams through the forest creep.

When broadens the moonlight, we frolic and jest;
When darkles the forest, we sink into rest.

Shine, fine star above !
Love's come, happy love !
Haste, happy wedding-night,
Full moon, round and bright!

And not till her circle is low in the west
We'll cease from our dancing, or couch us to rest!

Lute, mute fall thy strings !
Hush, every voice that sings!
Low, slow, sleepy song,
Fade forest-aisles along !

Of all thy sweet music a love-song is best! --
Thou hushest -- we're silent -- we sink into rest.