Friday 1 May 2009

Queen o' the May

You must wake and call me early, call me early, mother dear;
To-morrow ’ill be the happiest time of all the glad New-year;
Of all the glad New-year, mother, the maddest merriest day,
For I’m to be Queen o’ the May, mother,
I’m to be Queen o’ the May
There's many a black, black, eye, none so bright as mine
There's Mary, there's Kate and Caroline;
But none so fair as little Alice in all the land they say,
So I’m to be Queen o’ the May, mother,
I’m to be Queen o’ the May.
I sleep so sound all night, mother, that I shall never wake,
If you do not call me loud when the day begins to break;
But I must gather knots of flowers, and buds and garlands gay,
For I’m to be Queen o’ the May, mother,
I’m to be Queen o’ the May.
As I came up the valley whom think ye should I see

But Robin leaning on the bridge beneath the hazel-tree?
He thought of that sharp look, mother, I gave him yesterday,
But I’m to be Queen o’ the May, mother,
I’m to be Queen o’ the May.

He thought I was a ghost, mother, for I was all in white,
And I ran by him without speaking, like a flash of light.
They call me cruel-hearted, but I care not what they say,
For I’m to be Queen o’ the May, mother,
I’m to be Queen o’ the May.

They say he’s dying all for love, but that can never be;
They say his heart is breaking, mother–what is that to me?
There’s many a bolder lad ’ll woo me any summer day,
And I’m to be Queen o’ the May, mother,
I’m to be Queen o’ the May.

Little Effie shall go with me to-morrow to the green,
And you’ll be there, too, mother, to see me made the Queen;
For the shepherd lads on every side ’ll come from far away,
And I’m to be Queen o’ the May, mother,
I’m to be Queen o’ the May.

.The honeysuckle round the porch has woven its wavy bowers

And by the meadow-trenches blow the faint sweet cuckoo-flowers;

And the wild marsh-marigold shines like fire in swamps and hollows gray,
And I’m to be Queen o’ the May, mother,
I’m to be Queen o’ the May.

The night-winds come and go, mother, upon the meadow-grass,
And the happy stars above them seem to brighten as they pass;
There will not be a drop of rain the whole of the livelong day,
And I’m to be Queen o’ the May, mother,
I’m to be Queen o’ the May.

All the valley, mother, ’ill be fresh and green and still,
And the cowslip and the crowfoot are over all the hill,
And the rivulet in the flowery dale ’ill merrily glance and play,
For I’m to be Queen o’ the May, mother,
I’m to be Queen o’ the May.

So you must wake and call me early, call me early, mother dear'
To-morrow ’ill be the happiest time of all the glad New-year
To-morrow ’ill be of all the year the maddest merriest day,
For I’m to be Queen o’ the May, mother,
I’m to be Queen o’ the May.
Tennyson
Happy May Day to one and all!
(Sorry about the formatting on this post!Grr!)

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Happy May Day to you too! :)

Dulce Domum said...

Right back at ya, m'dear.

Nan said...

I've been thinking a lot about May Day, and I thank you for the poem, but even more so for the treat and surprise of the Kinks coming right out of my computer! A great, great song and album.

~~louise~~ said...

Happy May Day Dulce. I just knew you would have something special today. Lovely:)

Dulce Domum said...

Hi Nan
One of my DH's favourite albums too! I'm glad you enjoyed "Victoria", it just seems appropriate for my blog, somehow.

Hi Louise
I'm glad you like my little celebration.

Gumbo Lily said...

Happy belated May Day to you, oh Queen!

Jody

Dulce Domum said...

Why thank you, Jody, m'dear!