a 1914 art song
words by Rabindranath Tagore
music by John Alden Carpenter
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by James Pitt-Payne:
Lyrics
When I bring to you colour’d toys, my child
I understand why there is such a play of colours on clouds
On water, and why flow’rs are painted in tints
When I give colour’d toys to you, my child
When I sing to make you dance
I truly know why there is music in leaves
And why waves send their chorus of voices
To the heart of the listening earth
When I sing to make you dance
When I bring sweet things to your greedy hands
I know why there is honey in the cup of the flower
And why fruits are secretly filled with sweet juice
When I bring sweet things to your greedy hands
Sung here by Fred Feild: