Songs

When daffodils begin to peer

by Roger Quilter From Four Shakespeare Songs (1933) Op. 30

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Text

When daffodils begin to peer
English source: William Shakespeare

When daffodils begin to peer, —
With, hey! the doxy over the dale, —
Why, then comes in the sweet o’ the year;
For the red blood reigns in the winter’s pale.

The white sheet bleaching on the hedge, —
With, hey! the sweet birds, how they sing! —
Doth set my pugging tooth on edge;
For a quart of ale is a dish for a king.

The lark, that tirra-lirra chants, —
With, hey! with, hey! the thrush and the jay, —
Are summer songs for me and my aunts,
While we lie tumbling in the hay.

from _The Winter’s Tale_ IV.iii

Composer

Roger Quilter

Roger Cuthbert Quilter was an English composer, known particularly for his songs.

Poet

William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare was an English poet, playwright, and actor, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet, and the "Bard of Avon". His extant…

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