To a Young Gentleman (Giles, set by J. Carpenter) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


Don't come in, sir, please!
Don't break my willow-trees!
Not that that would very much grieve me,
But, alack-a-day,
What would my parents say?
And love you as I may,
I cannot bear to think what that would be.

Don't cross my wall, sir, please!
Don't spoil my mulberry-trees!
Not that that would very much grieve me,
But, alack-a-day,
What would my brothers say?
And love you as I may,
I cannot bear to think what that would be.

Then keep outside, sir, please!
Don't spoil my sandal-trees!
Not that that would very much grieve me,
But, alack-a-day,
What the world would say!
And love you as I may,
I cannot bear to think what that would be.

Input by Geoffrey Wieting

Authorship

Herbert Allen Giles (1845-1935)

Based on

text

Anonymous/Unidentified Artist

National Odes of China

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)

Water-Colors: Four Chinese Tone Poems

Set in French, a translation of Henri Pierre Roché (1879-1959) ENG FRE

Albert Roussel (1869-1937)

Deux poèmes chinois

Date added to the website: 2003-11-19.

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