A match

If love were what the rose is,
  And I were like the leaf,
Our lives would grow together
In sad or singing weather,
Blown fields or flowerful closes,
  Green pleasure or grey grief;
If love were what the rose is,
  And I were like the leaf.

If I were what the words are,
  And love were like the tune,
With double sound or single
Delight our lips would mingle,
With kisses glad as birds are
  That get sweet rain at noon;
If I were what the words are,
  And love were like the tune.

If you were life, my darling,
  And I your love were death,
We 'd shine and snow together
Ere March made sweet the weather
With daffodil and starling
  And hours of fruitful breath;
If you were life, my darling,
  And I your love were death.

If you were thrall to sorrow,
  And I were page to joy,
We 'd play for lives and seasons
With loving looks and treasons
And tears of night and morrow
  And laughs of maid and boy;
If you were thrall to sorrow,
  And I were page to joy.

If you were April's lady,
  And I were lord in May,
We 'd throw with leaves for hours
And draw for days with flowers,
Till day like night were shady
  And night were bright like day;
If you were April's lady,
  And I were lord in May.

If you were queen of pleasure,
  And I were king of pain,
We 'd hunt down love together,
Pluck out his flying-feather,
  And teach his feet a measure,
And find his mouth a rein;
  If you were queen of pleasure,
And I were king of pain.

by Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909) , "A match", from Poems and Ballads, published 1866

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

by Paul Ambrose , "If love were what the rose is", published 1925. [three-part chorus and piano]
by Reginald Billin , "If love were what the rose is", published <<1940. [voice and piano]
by Sir Frederic Hymen Cowen (1852-1935) , "If love were what the rose is", published 1883. [voice and piano]
by Henry Kimball Hadley (1871-1937) , "If love were what the rose is", published 1898. [voice and piano]
by Victor Herbert (1859-1924) , "If love were what the rose is", published 1907. [voice and piano]
by Sir Alexander Campbell MacKenzie (1847-1935) , "If love were what the rose is", published 1885 [medium voice and piano], from Ten songs, no. ?
by Francis Moore (1886-1946) , "Joy", published <<1940. [voice and piano]
by Clarence Olmstead (1892-) , "If love were like the Tune", published <<1940. [voice and piano]
by Ciro Pinsuti (1829-1888) , "If", published 1877. [voice and piano]
by Welford Russell (1900-) , "If love were what the rose is" [medium voice and piano], from Sixteen songs, no. ?
by Charles Albert Stebbins , "If love were what the rose is", published 1900. [voice and piano]
by Maude Valérie White (1855-1937) , "April's lady", published 1902. [voice and piano]

Date added to the website: 2009-01-27.

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