There were three cherry trees once, Grew in a garden all shady; And there for delight of so gladsome a sight, Walked a most beautiful lady, Dreamed a most beautiful lady. Birds in those branches did sing, Blackbird and throstle and linnet, But she walking there was by far the most fair -- Lovelier than all else within it, Blackbird and throstle and linnet. But blossoms to berries do come, All hanging on stalks light and slender, And one long summer's day charmed that lady away, With vows sweet and merry and tender; A lover with voice low and tender. Moss and lichen the green branches deck; Weeds nod in its paths green and shady: Yet a light footstep seems there to wander in dreams, The ghost of that beautiful lady, That happy and beautiful lady.
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Authorship:
- by Walter De la Mare (1873 - 1956), "The three cherry trees", appears in The Listeners and Other Poems, first published 1912 [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 Benjamin Burrows (1891 - 1966), "Three cherry trees", 1928 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edward Joseph Dent (1876 - 1957), "The three cherry trees", 1918 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Herbert Norman Howells (1892 - 1983), "The three cherry trees (Siciliana)", from A Garland for de la Mare, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Horace Johnson (1893 - 1964), "The three cherry trees", published 1929 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-01-13
Line count: 20
Word count: 136