Little Jessie (James A. Butterfield)

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• (Posted 2023-09-29)  CPDL #75847:     

Editor: David Anderson (submitted 2023-09-29).   Score information: Letter, 12 pages, 205 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: Little Jessie
Composer: James A. Butterfield
Lyricist:
Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1872 John Church & Co.
Description: 

Original text and translations

English text

Have you seen my little Jessie?
With her face so wondrous fair,
With the love-light in her blue eyes,
And the sunlight in her hair?
In the springtime, when I left her
She was radiant as the dawn;
Ere the springtime flowers had faded
I returned, but she was gone?

Little Jessie, have you seen her?
You would know her anywhere,
By the love-light in her blue eyes,
And the sunlight in her hair.

To her dimpled cheek the fairies
Nightly brought their choicest flowers,
To her laughing eyes the brownies
Gave their mischief-making powers,
’Round her lips in beauty gathered
All that witching is and rare,

They but mock me when they tell me—
They have robed and laid her there—
Paled her cheek and twined immortelles
In the glory of her hair?
She is waiting for me, hiding,
Still she hides I know not where;
Surely, surely, you have seen her?
You would know her anywhere!

Still she comes not! shall I never,
Down the pathway, thro’ the lane,
See her swift feet fly to meet me?
Clasp her in my arms again?
Still she comes not! but her presence
Shall be near me everywhere;
And I know, whate’er betide me,
I shall know and love her there!