How shall I woo thee (Dunbar, set by S. Coleridge-Taylor) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


How shall I woo thee to win thee, mine own?
  Say in what tongue shall I tell of my love.
I who was fearless so timid have grown,
  All that was eagle has turned into dove.
The path from the meadow that leads to the bars
Is more to me now than the path of the stars.

How shall I woo thee to win thee, mine own,
  Thou who art fair and as far as the moon?
Had I the strength of the torrent's wild tone,
  Had I the sweetness of warblers in June;
The strength and the sweetness might charm and persuade,
But neither have I my petition to aid.

How shall I woo thee to win thee, mine own?
  How shall I traverse the distance between
My humble cot and your glorious throne?
  How shall a clown gain the ear of a queen?
Oh teach me the tongue that shall please thee the best,
For till I have won thee my heart may not rest.

Authorship

Paul Laurence Dunbar (1872-1906)

Majors and Minors

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

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912)

African Romances

Date added to the website: 2008-07-27.

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