How bright in the Maytime (Robert Lucas Pearsall)

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• (Posted 2019-12-05)  CPDL #56178:         

Editor: James Gibb (submitted 2019-12-05).   Score information: A4, 5 pages, 100 kB   Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: How bright in the Maytime
Composer: Robert Lucas Pearsall
Lyricist: Mrs Newnham

Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong

Language: English
Instruments: Keyboard

First published: 1863
    2nd published: 1877 in Novello's Part-Song Book (2nd series), Vol. 10, no. 298
Description: 

Original text and translations

English text

1  How bright in the May time
Is freedom, is play-time,
The forest, how bright!
One's path gaily shaping,
The city escaping
To some breezy height.
In hedge-braid ed meadows,
Where cool welcome shadows
With sun flecks are blent,
Down lazily sinking,
Deliciously drinking
The lilac's rich scent.

2  Then onward one passes,
Plucks wild flowers and grasses,
And strawberries sweet;
Fresh green boughs selecting,
Our faces protecting
From dust and from heat.
Now heedlessly wander,
Now pausing to ponder,
The streamlet beside;
Half dreaming, half waking,
We watch the waves breaking,
As softly they glide.

3  No porter to warn us,
No gardener to scorn us,
With threatening call.
Here gold is not wanting,
The field flowers enchanting,
Are common to all.
O freedom, how pleasant!
No despot is present
Sweet Nature to snare;
No false-hearted flatterer,
No tale-bearing chatterer,
Here poisons the air.