In a garden (Swinburne, set by R. Boughton) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


Baby, see the flowers!
 -- Baby sees
Fairer things than these,
Fairer though they be than dreams of ours.

Baby, hear the birds!
 -- Baby knows
Better songs than those,
Sweeter though they sound than sweetest words.

Baby, see the moon!
 -- Baby's eyes
Laugh to watch it rise,
Answering light with love and night with noon.

Baby, hear the sea!
 -- Baby's face
Takes a graver grace,
Touched with wonder what the sound may be.

Baby, see the star!
 -- Baby's hand
Opens, warm and bland,
Calm in claim of all things fair that are.

Baby, hear the bells!
 -- Baby's head
Bows, as ripe for bed,
Now the flowers curl round and close their cells.

Baby, flower of light,
Sleep, and see
Brighter dreams than we,
Till good day shall smile away good night.

First published in English Illustrated Magazine, December 1886

Authorship

Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837-1909)

Poems and Ballads, Third Series

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

Rutland Boughton (1878-1960)

Three Baby Songs

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

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