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


Dainty little maiden, whither would you wander?
    Whither from this pretty home, the home where mother dwells?
"Far and far away," said the dainty little maiden,
"All among the gardens, auriculas, anemones,
    Roses and lilies and Canterbury-bells."

Dainty little maiden, whither would you wander?
    Whither from this pretty house, this city-house of ours?
"Far and far away," said the dainty little maiden,
"All among the meadows, the clover and the clematis,
    Daisies and kingcups and honeysuckle-flowers."

First published without a title in St. Nicholas, February 1880 as one of the "Child Songs", revised 1884

?. Spring

Language: English

Authorship

Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892)

The Windows, or The Loves of the Wrens

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Birds' love and birds' song.
Flying here and there,-
Birds' song and birds' love,
And you with gold for hair!
Birds' song and birds' love,
Passing with the weather,
Men's song and men's love
To love once and for ever.

Men's love and birds' love,
And women's love and men's!
And you my wren with crown of gold,
You my Queen of the wrens!
You the Queen of the wrens!
We'll be birds of a feather;
I'll be King of the Queen of the wrens,
And all in a nest together!