Ah! May the red rose live alway! (Stephen Collins Foster)
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- (Posted 2006-07-20) CPDL #12056:
- Editor: William Long (submitted 2006-07-20). Score information: Letter, 14 pages, 572 kB Copyright: CPDL
- Edition notes: instrumental parts available separately.
General Information
Title: Ah! May the Red Rose Live Alway!
Composer: Stephen Collins Foster
Number of voices: 1v Voicing: Soprano solo
Genre: Secular, Aria
Language: English
Instruments: guitar, flute
First published:
Description:
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
Ah! may the red rose live alway,
To smile upon earth and sky!
Why should the beautiful ever weep?
Why should the beautiful die?
Lending a charm to ev'ry ray
That falls on her cheeks of light,
Givingthe zephyr kiss for kiss,
And nursing the dewdrop bright.
Long may the daisies dance the field,
Frolicking far and near!
Why should the innocent hide their heads!
Why should the innocent fear?
Spreading their petals in mute delight
When morn in its radiance breaks,
Keeping a floral festival
Till the night loving primrose wakes.
Lulled be the dirge in the cypress bough,
That tells of departed flowers!
Ah! that the butterfly's gilded wing
fluttered in evergreen bowers!
Sad is my heart for the blighted plants
Its pleasures are aye as brief
They bloom at the young year's joyful call,
And fade with the autumn leaf: