by William Morris (1834 - 1896)
Gold on her head, and gold on her feet
Language: English
Gold on her head, and gold on her feet, And gold where the hems of her kirtle meet, And a golden girdle round my sweet; -- Ah! qu'elle est belle la Marguerite. Margaret's maids are fair to see, Freshly dress'd and pleasantly; Margaret's hair falls down to her knee; -- Ah! qu'elle est belle la Marguerite. If I were rich I would kiss her feet, I would kiss the place where the gold hems meet, And the golden girdle round my sweet -- Ah! qu'elle est belle la Marguerite. Ah me! I have never touch'd her hand, When the arriere-ban goes through the land, Six basnets under my pennon stand; -- Ah! qu'elle est belle la Marguerite. And many a one grins under his hood: "Sir Lambert de Bois, with all his men good, Has neither food nor firewood;" -- Ah! qu'elle est belle la Marguerite. If I were rich I would kiss her feet, And the golden girdle of my sweet, And thereabouts where the gold hems meet; Ah! qu'elle est belle la Marguerite. Yet even now it is good to think, While my few poor varlets grumble and drink In my desolate hall, where the fires sink, -- Ah! qu'elle est belle la Marguerite. Of Margaret sitting glorious there, In glory of gold and glory of hair, And glory of glorious face most fair; -- Ah! qu'elle est belle la Marguerite. Likewise tonight I make good cheer, Because this battle draweth near: For what have I to lose or fear? -- Ah! qu'elle est belle la Marguerite. For, look you, my horse is good to prance A right fair measure in this war-dance, Before the eyes of Philip of France; -- Ah! qu'elle est belle la Marguerite. And sometime it may hap, perdie, While my new towers stand up three and three, And my hall gets painted fair to see -- Ah! qu'elle est belle la Marguerite -- That folks may say: "Times change, by the rood! For Lambert, banneret of the wood, Has heaps of food and firewood; -- Ah! qu'elle est belle la Marguerite; -- "And wonderful eyes, too, under the hood Of a damsel of right noble blood:" St. Ives, for Lambert of the wood! -- Ah! qu'elle est belle la Marguerite.
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Authorship:
- by William Morris (1834 - 1896), "The Eve of Crecy" [author's text checked 1 time 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 Arnold Edward Trevor Bax, Sir (1883 - 1953), "Marguerite", 1909 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2021-12-30
Line count: 52
Word count: 363