(Joseph) Deems Taylor: Three songs (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


Bee! tell me whence do you come? 
Ten fields away, twenty perhaps, 
Have heard your hum.
If you are from the north, you may 
Have passed my mother's roof of straw 
Upon your way.

If you came from the south, you should 
Have seen another cottage just
Inside the wood.
And should you go back that way, please 
Carry a message to the house
Among the trees. 

Say -- I will wait her at the rock 
Beside the stream, this very night 
At eight o'clock. 
And ask your queen when you get home 
To send my queen the present of
A honeycomb.

?. A song for lovers

Language: English

Authorship

James Stephens (1882-1950)

Songs from the Clay

See other settings of this text


The moon is shining on the sea : 
Every night the moon looks down 
Through the spaces quietly ; 
And no matter though I be 
In the houses of the town, 
Something always says to me, 
The moon is shining on the sea. 

Along the boulevard I pace. 
Peeping up among the trees. 
And I see her gentle face 
Looking through immensities ; 
And while I stare there comes to me 
The distant murmur of the sea. 

For they love each other well : 
All across the depth of space 
They are reaching out their arms, 
They are looking face to face, 
The pretty, timid moon and the 
Poor, unhappy, little sea.