When I bring to you colour'd toys, my child (Tagore, set by J. Carpenter) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


When I bring to you colour'd toys, my child,
I understand why there is such a play of colours on clouds,
On water, and why flow'rs are painted in tints:
When I give colour'd toys to you, my child.

When I sing to make you dance,
I truly know why there is music in leaves,
And why waves send their chorus of voices
To the heart of the listening earth:
When I sing to make you dance.

When I bring sweet things to your greedy hands,
I know why there is honey in the cup of the flower
And why fruits are secretly filled with sweet juice:
When I bring sweet things to your greedy hands.

Authorship

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)

Gitanjali

Based on

text

Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)

গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali)

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

John Alden Carpenter (1876-1951)

Gitanjali (Song Offerings)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

Gentle Reminder

This project is not funded. If you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your gift is greatly appreciated!
- Emily

I also have a wishlist at Amazon.ca.