My mother bids me bind my hair (Joseph Haydn)

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• (Posted 2013-08-19)  CPDL #29901: 

Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2013-08-19).   Score information: A4, 7 pages, 114 kB   Copyright: CC BY SA

Edition notes: Includes a keyboard reduction of the a cappella choral score. Please click on the link for preview/playback/PDF download.

General Information

Title: My mother bids me bind my hair
Composer: Joseph Haydn
Lyricist: Anne Hunter

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

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published:
Description: One of Haydn's canzonets (from his first set written and published in England) arranged as a glee by Joseph Corfe. This "pastoral song" achieved great popularity, subsequently being a favourite in the repertoire of Jenny Lind.

Original text and translations

English text

My mother bids me bind my hair
With bands of rosy hue,
Tie up my sleeves with ribbons rare,
And lace my bodice blue.
For why, she cries, sit still and weep
While others dance and play?
Alas, I can scarce go or creep,
While Lubin is away.

'Tis sad to think the days are gone,
When those we love were near;
I sit upon this mossy stone
And sigh when none can hear:
And while I spin my flaxen thread
And sing my simple lay,
The village seems asleep or dead
Now Lubin is away.