The Lake (William Webster Pearson)
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- Editor: David Anderson (submitted 2023-11-27). Score information: Letter, 12 pages, 669 kB Copyright: Personal
- Edition notes:
General Information
Title: The Lake
Composer: William Webster Pearson
Lyricist: James Gates Percival
Number of voices: 4vv Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong
Language: English
Instruments: A cappella
First published: 1890 Novello, Ewer, and Co.
Description:
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
To Seneca Lake
On thy fair bosom, silver lake,
The wild swan spreads his snowy sail,
And round his breast the ripples break,
As down he bears before the gale.
On thy fair bosom, waveless stream,
The dipping paddle echoes far,
And flashes in the moonlight gleam,
And bright reflects the polar star.
The waves along thy pebbly shore,
As blows the north-wind, heave their foam,
And curl around the dashing oar,
As late the boatman hies him home.
How sweet, at set of sun, to view
Thy golden mirror spreading wide,
And see the mist of mantling blue
Float round the distant mountain’s side.
At midnight hour, as shines the moon,
A sheet of silver spreads below,
And swift she cuts, at highest noon,
Light clouds, like wreaths of purest snow.
On thy fair bosom, silver lake!
O, I could ever sweep the oar,
When early birds at morning wake,
And evening tells us toil is o’er.