What do we plant? (Abbey, set by A. Copland) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


What do we plant when we plant the tree?
We plant the ship which will cross the sea.
We plant the mast to carry the sails;
We plant the planks to withstand the gales.
The keel the keelson the beam the knee...
We plant the ship when we plant the tree.

What do we plant when we plant the tree?
We plant the houses for you and me.
We plant the rafters the shingles the floors
We plant the studding the lath the doors
the beams and siding all parts that be...
We plant the house when we plant the tree.

What do we plant when we plant the tree?
A thousand things that we daily see
We plant the spire that out-towers the crag
We plant the staff for our country's flag
We plant the shade from hot sun free
We plant all these when we plant the tree.

Authorship

Henry Abbey (1842-1911)

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

Aaron Copland (1900-1990)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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