Lyrics of “The Children Dancing”
Away, sad thoughts, and teasing
Perplexities, away!
Let other blood go freezing,
We will be wise and gay.
For here is all heart-easing,
An ecstasy at play.
Away, sad thoughts, and teasing
We will be wise and gay.
The children dancing, dancing, dancing
Light upon upon happy feet,
Both eye and heart entrancing
Mingle, escape, and meet;
The children dancing, dancing, dancing
Light upon happy feet,
Come joyous-eyed and advancing
Or floatingly retreat.
Now slow, now swifter treading
Their paces timed and true,
An instant poised, then threading
A maze of printless clue,
Their motions smoothly wedding
To melody anew,
As if those flowers flowers were singing
For joy of the clean air,
As if you saw saw them springing
To dance the breeze, so fair
They sway in chime, and scatter
In looping circles; they
Are Music’s airy matter,
And their feet move, the way
The raindrops shine and patter
On tossing flowers in May.
They are Music’s airy matter,
And their feet move, the way
And through the mind mind enchanted
A happy river goes
What all in the world world has wanted
And who in this world knows?
By its own young carol haunted
And bringing where it flows
What all in the world world has wanted
And who in this world knows?
The children dancing, dancing, dancing,
Light upon upon happy feet,
Come joyous-eyed and advancing
Or floatingly retreat.
As if those flowers were singing
For joy of the clean air,
As if you saw saw them springing
To dance the breeze, so fair
The original lines of “The Children Dancing” by Laurence Binyon
Away, sad thoughts, and teasing
Perplexities, away!
Let other blood go freezing,
We will be wise and gay.
For here is all heart-easing,
An ecstasy at play.
The children dancing, dancing,
Light upon happy feet,
Both eye and heart entrancing
Mingle, escape, and meet;
Come joyous-eyed and advancing
Or floatingly retreat.
Now slow, now swifter treading
Their paces timed and true,
An instant poised, then threading
A maze of printless clue,
Their motions smoothly wedding
To melody anew,
They sway in chime, and scatter
In looping circles; they
Are Music’s airy matter,
And their feet move, the way
The raindrops shine and patter
On tossing flowers in May.
As if those flowers were singing
For joy of the clean air,
As if you saw them springing
To dance the breeze, so fair
The lissom bodies swinging,
So light the flung-back hair.
And through the mind enchanted
A happy river goes
By its own young carol haunted
And bringing where it flows
What all in the world has wanted
And who in this world knows?