The messenger bird (Howard Kingsbury)

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•  Posted on 2024-04-26(Posted 2024-04-26)  CPDL #80407:     

Editor: David Anderson (submitted 2024-04-26).   Score information: Letter, 12 pages, 497 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: The messenger bird
Composer: Howard Kingsbury
Lyricist: Felicia Hemans
Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1874 Taintor Brothers
Description: Based on an old melody.

Original text and translations

English text

Thou art come from the spirits’ land, thou bird!
Thou art come from the spirit’s land:
Through the dark pine grove let thy voice be heard,
And tell of the shadowy band!

We know that the bowers are green and fair
In the light of that summer shore,
And we know that the friends we have lost are there,
They are there—and they weep no more!

And we know they have quenched their fever’s thirst
From the Fountain of youth ere now,
For there must the stream in its freshness burst
Which none may find below!

And we know that they will not be lured to earth
From the land of deathless flowers,
By the feast, or the dance, or the song of mirth,
Though their hearts were once with ours:

Though they sat with us by the night-fire’s blaze,
And bent with us the bow,
And heard the tales of our fathers’ days,
Which are told to others now!

But tell us, thou bird of the solemn strain!
Can those who have loved forget?
We call—and they answer not again—
Do they love—do they love us yet?

Doth the warrior think of his brother there,
And the father of his child?
And the chief, of those that were wont to share
His wandering through the wild?

We call them far through the silent night,
And they speak not from cave or hill;
We know, thou bird! that their land is bright,
But say, do they love there still?