Glad May Day (Nathan L. Glover)

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• (Posted 2023-10-22)  CPDL #76535:     

Editor: David Anderson (submitted 2023-10-22).   Score information: Letter, 8 pages, 444 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: Glad May Day
Composer: Nathan L. Glover
Lyricist:
Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1873 S. Brainard’s Sons
Description: 

Original text and translations

English text

The sun already from the skies,
Above the belfry gleaming,
Peeps in at many a maiden’s eyes
And laughs her from her dreaming;
The wind that all the night was low,
Among the chestnuts on the brow
Starts caroling her lay
And merrily seems to say,
“Ye boys and girls who love the spring,
Troup out, troup out, to dance and sing,
Ye should not be so slow,
On glad May day.”

The hall must lay its grandeur by,
The hamlet cease its labor,
As squire and kind agree to try
The worth of pipe and tabor.
E’en helpless age in elbow chair
Sits by and nods his thin gray hair,
To hear the music play,
And merrily loves to say,
The nimblest dancer on the green
Is far less brisk than he has been,
When he the sport did share,
Of glad May day.

There’s no one here, who, grave and stern,
Our revel would be scorning,
Save owlet prim who needs must turn
From mirth, and song, and mourning.
The more the care our hearts have known,
The fitter ’tis we lay them down,
When Springtime points the way.
Then merrily while ye may,
Let all who love to dance and sing
Go round and round In blithesome ring,
And make at least your own,
One glad May day.