by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882)
The sun is bright, ‑‑ the air is clear
Language: English
No hay pajaros en los nidos de antano.
-- Spanish Proverb
The sun is bright, -- the air is clear,
The darting swallows soar and sing.
And from the stately elms I hear
The bluebird prophesying Spring.
So blue yon winding river flows,
It seems an outlet from the sky,
Where waiting till the west-wind blows,
The freighted clouds at anchor lie.
All things are new;--the buds, the leaves,
That gild the elm-tree's nodding crest,
And even the nest beneath the eaves;--
There are no birds in last year's nest!
All things rejoice in youth and love,
The fulness of their first delight!
And learn from the soft heavens above
The melting tenderness of night.
Maiden, that read'st this simple rhyme,
Enjoy thy youth, it will not stay;
Enjoy the fragrance of thy prime,
For oh, it is not always May!
Enjoy the Spring of Love and Youth,
To some good angel leave the rest;
For Time will teach thee soon the truth,
There are no birds in last year's nest!
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807 - 1882), "It is not always May", appears in Ballads and Other Poems, first published 1842 [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 John Francis Barnett (1837 - 1916), "It is not always May", published 1844 [ chorus ], partsong [sung text not yet checked]
- by Doyne Courtenay Bell (1831 - 1888), "It is not always May" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by W. H. Bentley , "It is not always May", op. 2 (Six songs) no. 4 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by (James) Hamilton Clarke (1840 - 1912), "It is not always May" [ duet for soprano and contralto with piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by James Munro Coward (1824 - 1880), "The sun is bright", published 187-? [ chorus and piano or organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Frederic Hymen Cowen, Sir (1852 - 1935), "It is not always May", published 1892 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Franz Maria D'Alquen (b. 1798), "It is not always May" [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Charles Gounod (1818 - 1893), "It is not always May", 1872?, published [1872] [ medium voice and piano ], London, Chappell [sung text not yet checked]
- by Cuthbert Harris (1870 - 1932), "Spring", op. 4 no. 4 [ unison chorus of equal voices with piano ], school song [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Liptrot Hatton (1809 - 1886), "It is not always May", published 186-? [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Walter Cecil Macfarren (1826 - 1905), "All things rejoice", published 1893 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur William Marchant (1850 - ?), "It is not always May" [ duet for 2 equal voices and piano ], school song [sung text not yet checked]
- by Isidora Martinez (flourished 1886-1915), "It is not always May", published 1902 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ciro Ercole Pinsuti, Il Cavaliere (1829 - 1888), "It is not always May", published >>1877 [ duet with piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Anthony Reiff (? - 1880), "It is not always May", published 1887 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hanan Schlesinger (1893 - ?), "It is not always May" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert St. John, Mrs. , "Gwendoline" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Miss L. E. Stoddard , "It is not always May", published 1866 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Nicolai P. Thamsen , "It is not always May" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Sydney Thomson , "It is not always May", published 1911 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carl Maria (Friedrich Ernst) von Weber (1786 - 1826), "The sun is bright" [sung text not yet checked]
- by J. J. Wickham , "It is not always May" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2008-06-13
Line count: 26
Word count: 159