Three and thirty birds there stood In an elder in a wood; Called Melmillo -- flew off three, Leaving thirty in the tree; Called Melmillo -- nine now gone, And the boughs held twenty-one; Called Melmillo -- and eighteen Left but three to nod and preen; Called Melmillo -- three -- two -- one -- Now of birds were feathers none. Then stole slim Melmillo in To that wood all dusk and green, And with lean long palms outspread Softly a strange dance did tread; Not a note of music she Had for echoing company; All the birds were flown to rest In the hollow of her breast; In the wood -- thorn, elder willow -- Danced alone -- lone danced Melmillo.
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Text Authorship:
- by Walter De la Mare (1873 - 1956), "Melmillo", appears in Peacock Pie: A Book of Rhymes, in 6. Witches and Fairies, no. 5, first published 1913 [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 (Francis) Clive Saville Carey (1883 - 1968), "Melmillo" [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Harry Farjeon (1878 - 1948), "Melmillo", published <<1940 [ voice and piano ], from The Little Green Orchard [sung text not yet checked]
- by Cecil Armstrong Gibbs (1889 - 1960), "Melmillo", published 1951 [ mezzo-soprano or semichorus, SSA chorus, string orchestra, piano ], from In a Dream's Beguiling [sung text not yet checked]
- by Samuel Liddle (1864? - 1951), "Melmillo", published 1923 [ high voice or medium voice and piano ], from Three Songs [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-01-07
Line count: 20
Word count: 112