by Andrew Lang (1844 - 1912)
Scythe song
Language: English
Mowers, weary and brown, and blithe, What is the word methinks ye know, Endless over-word that the Scythe Sings to the blades of the grass below? Scythes that swing in the grass and clover, Something, still, they say as they pass; What is the word that, over and over, Sings the Scythe to the flowers and grass? Hush, ah hush, the Scythes are saying, Hush, and heed not, and fall asleep; Hush, they say to the grasses swaying, Hush, they sing to the clover deep! Hush -- 'tis the lullaby Time is singing -- Hush, and heed not, for all things pass, Hush, ah hush! and the Scythes are swinging Over the clover, over the grass!
Text Authorship:
- by Andrew Lang (1844 - 1912), "Scythe song", appears in Grass of Parnassus. Rhymes Old and New, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., first published 1888 [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 Arthur Foote (1853 - 1937), "Scythe song", op. 68 (4 SATB Songs) no. 3 (1908) [ SATB chorus ], Boston : A.P. Schmidt [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "Scythe Song", op. 470 (1956) [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2012-04-14
Line count: 16
Word count: 114