Ah, Love, But a Day (op. 44, no. 2)

"Ah, Love, But a Day" is the second song in Beach's Three Browning Songs, op. 44. This song is one of her more chromatic songs and has been compared to the songs of Brahms.

Date: 1900Composer: Amy Marcy BeachText: Robert BrowningSong Collection: Three Browning Songs, Op. 44

Print vitals & song text

Text

Ah, Love, But a Day

Ah, Love, but a day,
And the world has changed!
The sun’s away,
And the bird estranged;
The wind has dropped,
And the sky’s deranged;
Summer has stopped.

Look in my eyes!
Wilt thou change too?
Should I fear surprise?
Shall I find aught new
In the old and dear,
In the good and true,
With the changing year?

Thou art a man,
But I am thy love.
For the lake, its swan;
For the dell, its dove;
And for thee — (oh, haste!)
Me, to bend above,
Me, to hold embraced.

Recordings

Ah! Love, But A Day

(Amy Marcy Beach, Margaret Bonds, Libby Larsen, Margaret Ruthven Lang, Undine Smith Moore, Florence Price, Gladys Rich and Gwyneth Van Anden Walker)

1998

Sheet Music

Three Browning Songs

Composer(s): Amy Beach

Buy via Sheet Music Plus

Ah, Love, But a Day

Composer(s): Amy Beach

Free Sheet Music on IMSLP

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