by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674)
Ye have been fresh and green
Language: English
Ye have been fresh and green, Ye have been [fill'd]1 with flowers; And ye the walks have been Where maids have spent their houres. You have beheld how they With wicker arks did come, To kisse and beare away The richer couslips home. Y'ave heard them sweetly sing. And seen them in a round; Each virgin, like a spring, With hony-succles crown'd. But now, we see none here, Whose silv'rie feet did tread, And with dishevell'd haire, Adorn'd this smoother mead. Like unthrifts, having spent Your stock, and needy grown, [Y'are left]2 here to lament Your poore estates alone.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with The Poetical Works of Robert Herrick, Volume 1, London: William Pickering, MDCCCXXV, pages 152-153.
1 Stöhr: "filled"2 Stöhr: "You left her"
Authorship:
- by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674), "To meddowes" [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 Mary Grant Carmichael (1851 - 1935), "To meadow", published 1879 [ four-part chorus a cappella ], London [sung text not yet checked]
- by Richard Stöhr (1874 - 1967), "To Meadows", op. 110 (Twelve Songs) no. 4 (1944-1945) [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Research team for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2013-04-18
Line count: 20
Word count: 99