Sunday, April 26, 2020

Sweet Wild April / William Force Stead


Sweet Wild April

O sweet wild April
     Came over the hills,
He skipped with the winds
     And he tripped with the rills;
His raiment was all
Of the daffodils.
          Sing hi, 
          Sing hey, 
          Sing ho! 

O sweet wild April
     Came down the lea,
Dancing along
     With his sisters three,
Carnation, and Rose,
     And tall Lily.
          Sing hi, 
          Sing hey, 
          Sing ho! 

O sweet wild April
     On pastoral quill
Came piping in moonlight
     By hollow and hill,
In starlight at midnight
     By dingle and rill.
          Sing hi, 
          Sing hey, 
          Sing ho! 

Where sweet wild April
     His melody played,
Trooped Cowslip and Primrose;
     And Iris the maid,
And silver Narcissus,
     A star in the shade.
          Sing hi, 
          Sing hey, 
          Sing ho! 

When sweet wild April
     Dipped down the dale.
Pale Cuckoo-pint brightened
     And Windflower frail,
And Whitethorn, the wood-bride.
     In virginal veil.
          Sing hi, 
          Sing hey, 
          Sing ho! 

When sweet wild April
     Through deep woods pressed.
Sang Cuckoo above him
     And Lark on his crest,
And Philomel fluttered
     Close under his breast.
          Sing hi, 
          Sing hey, 
          Sing ho! 

O sweet wild April,
     Wherever you went.
The bondage of winter
     Was broken and rent;
Sank elfin Ice-City
     And Frost-Goblin's tent.
          Sing hi, 
          Sing hey, 
          Sing ho! 

Yet sweet wild April,
     The blythe, the brave,
Fell asleep in the fields
By a windless wave;
And Jack-in-the-Pulpit
Preached over his grave.
          Sing hi, 
          Sing hey, 
          Sing ho! 

O sweet wild April,
Farewell to thee!
And a deep sweet sleep
To thy Sisters three,—
Carnation, and Rose,
And tall Lily.
          Sing hi, 
          Sing hey, 
          Sing ho! 

~~
William Force Stead (1884-1967)
from Windflowers: A book of lyrics, 1911

[Poem is in the public domain in Canada and the United States]

William Force Stead biography

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