Emily's Birds (Michael Gray): Difference between revisions

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To hear an Oriole sing
To hear an Oriole sing
May be a common thing -
May be a common thing -
Or only a divine.
Or only a divine.


It it not of the Bird
It it not of the Bird
Who sings the same, unheard,
Who sings the same, unheard,
As unto Crowd -
As unto Crowd -


The Fashion of the Ear
The Fashion of the Ear
Attireth that it hear
Attireth that it hear
In Dun, or fair -
In Dun, or fair -


So whether it be Rune,
So whether it be Rune,
Or whether it be none
Or whether it be none
Is of within.
Is of within.


The "Tune is in the Tree -"
The "Tune is in the Tree -"
The Skeptic - showith me -
The Skeptic - showith me -
"No sir!  In Thee!"
"No sir!  In Thee!"


II
II


At Half past Three, a single Bird
At Half past Three, a single Bird
Unto a silent Sky
Unto a silent Sky
Propounded but a single term
Propounded but a single term
Of cautious melody.
Of cautious melody.


At Half past Four, Experiment
At Half past Four, Experiment
Had subjugated test
Had subjugated test
And lo, Her silver Principle
And lo, Her silver Principle
Supplanted all the rest.
Supplanted all the rest.


At Half past Seven, Element
At Half past Seven, Element
Nor Implement, be seen -
Nor Implement, be seen -
And Place was where the Presence was
And Place was where the Presence was
Circumference between.
Circumference between.


III
III


A Bird came down the Walk -
A Bird came down the Walk -
He did not know I saw -
He did not know I saw -
He bit an Angleworm in halves
He bit an Angleworm in halves
And ate the fellow, raw,
And ate the fellow, raw,


And then he drank a Dew
And then he drank a Dew
From a convenient Grass -
From a convenient Grass -
And then hopped sidewise to the Wall
And then hopped sidewise to the Wall
To let a Beetle pass -
To let a Beetle pass -


He glanced with rapid eyes
He glanced with rapid eyes
That hurried all around -
That hurried all around -
They looked like frightened Beads, I thought -
They looked like frightened Beads, I thought -
He stirred his Velvet Head
He stirred his Velvet Head


Like one in danger, Cautious,
Like one in danger, Cautious,
I offered him a Crumb
I offered him a Crumb
And he unrolled his feathers
And he unrolled his feathers
And rowed him softer home -
And rowed him softer home -


Than Oars divide the Ocean,
Than Oars divide the Ocean,
Too silver for a seam -
Too silver for a seam -
Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon
Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon
Leap, plashless as they swim.
Leap, plashless as they swim.


''-Emily Dickinson''
''-Emily Dickinson''
[[Category:Sheet music]]
[[Category:Sheet music]]
[[Category:Modern music]]
[[Category:Modern music]]

Revision as of 14:03, 14 April 2022

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  • (Posted 2022-04-14)  CPDL #68840:     
Editor: Michael Gray (submitted 2022-04-14).   Score information: Letter, 9 pages, 470 kB   Copyright: CC BY NC ND
Edition notes: "Emily's Birds" by Michael A. Gray is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

General Information

Title: Emily's Birds
Composer: Michael Gray
Lyricist: Emily Dickinson
Number of voices: 1v   Voicing: Unison
Genre: Secular, Children's song

Language: English
Instruments: Piano

First published: 2022
Description: Three short songs set for Unison Children's Chorus

External websites:

Original text and translations

English text (or link to a text page) needs to be added.   Question.gif

I

To hear an Oriole sing

May be a common thing -

Or only a divine.


It it not of the Bird

Who sings the same, unheard,

As unto Crowd -


The Fashion of the Ear

Attireth that it hear

In Dun, or fair -


So whether it be Rune,

Or whether it be none

Is of within.


The "Tune is in the Tree -"

The Skeptic - showith me -

"No sir! In Thee!"


II


At Half past Three, a single Bird

Unto a silent Sky

Propounded but a single term

Of cautious melody.


At Half past Four, Experiment

Had subjugated test

And lo, Her silver Principle

Supplanted all the rest.


At Half past Seven, Element

Nor Implement, be seen -

And Place was where the Presence was

Circumference between.


III


A Bird came down the Walk -

He did not know I saw -

He bit an Angleworm in halves

And ate the fellow, raw,


And then he drank a Dew

From a convenient Grass -

And then hopped sidewise to the Wall

To let a Beetle pass -


He glanced with rapid eyes

That hurried all around -

They looked like frightened Beads, I thought -

He stirred his Velvet Head


Like one in danger, Cautious,

I offered him a Crumb

And he unrolled his feathers

And rowed him softer home -


Than Oars divide the Ocean,

Too silver for a seam -

Or Butterflies, off Banks of Noon

Leap, plashless as they swim.



-Emily Dickinson

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