by Alfred Perceval Graves (1846 - 1931)
My garden at the back
Language: English
When I came over from old Rosstrevor, Here to London Town, A lonesome spell upon me fell For Kate and County Down. 'Twas gloomy toil for her glad smile, Grey stone for grassy track; Till I took heart at last to start A garden at the back. With country mould at morn and eve, Still I plied my plot; Then sow'd and set musk, mignonette, Pink, rose, forget-me-not. Till bees they flew from out the blue, And butterflies they'd tack, O blessed hour, from flow'r to flow'r Of my garden at the back. Then when I 'd but the Christmas rose, To end the flow'ry race, Around the corner came my scorner With a sadden'd face. The cause to guess of her distress For sure I was not slack, And now her eyes make Paradise Of my garden at the back.
Authorship:
- by Alfred Perceval Graves (1846 - 1931) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Charles Villiers Stanford, Sir (1852 - 1924), "My garden at the back", op. 76 no. 44, published 1901 [voice and piano], from Songs of Erin, no. 44, London, Boosey [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Mike Pearson
This text was added to the website: 2016-09-13
Line count: 24
Word count: 141