Meadowlark

Sondheim

h=88
  
34

         
             
When I was a girl I had afav- rite sto - ry

 
          
             
When I was a girl I had afav- rite sto - ry

 
41

  
            
of the mead - ow lark who lived where the riv - ers wind.

     
             


of the mead - ow lark who lived where the riv - ers wind. Her

 
46

           

but she was blind.

   
                      
 
voice could match the an - gels in its glo - ry but she was blind.

 
52

        
               
the lark was blind. An old king came and took her to his pal - ace

    
      
the lark was blind.
2

 
57

    
            


where the walls were bur nished bronze and gol - den braid

      
  
And he

 
62 Tempo

       
 
and he prayed:

   
                     
fed her fruit and nuts from and iv - 'ry chal - ice and he prayed:

  
69
      
   
"sing for me Sing for me

     
            
"sing for me my mead - ow lark. Sing for me

  
75

                   
   
of the sil - ver morn ing. Set me free my mead - ow lark,
           
         
 
of the sil - ver morn ing. Set me free my mead - ow lark,

 
81
      
         
 
and I'll buy you a price - less jew- el and I'll
              
    

and cloth of bro - cade and crew - el and I'll
 3

   3   
86

        
     
love you for life if you will Then

  3              
        
love you for life if you will sing for me."

 
92

 
3
                     


one day as the lark sand by the wa - ter the god of the sun heard her in his

       

 
98

       
flight,


                
      

and her sing - ing moved him so he came and brought her the gift of

  
104

      
          
sight. He gave her sight. And she o - pened her eyes to the

         
     
sight. He gave her sight.

  
109

   
         
         


shim mer and the splen dour of this beau - ti- ful young god so proud and

      
          
of this beau - ti- ful young god so proud and
4

 
114

    
  


strong.

            
        
strong. And he called to the lark in a voice both rough and ten - der

   
119
    
           
"Come a - long! Fly with me, my mead - ow lark,

   
                
"Come a - long! Fly with me, my mead - ow lark,

   
     
127

 
          
 
 
fly with me on the sil - ver morn - ing past the sea

                 
   
fly with me on the sil - ver morn - ing past the sea

     
133

      
           

where the dol - phins bark. We willdance on the cor - al beach - es,

             
     
where the dol - phins bark. make a

  
138

    
3

               
just as far as your vi - sion reach - es, fly with

      
3
        
             
feast of the plums and peach - es, just as far as your vi - sion reach - es, fly with
 5

  
143

     
  
me."

        
                  
me." But the mead - ow lark said no for the old king loved her

 
149

      
 
So the


                  
 
so. she could - n't bear to wound his pride.

 
    
154

                 
sun god flew a - way, and when the king came down that day, he found his


      

  
159
  
                 




mead - ow lark had died. Ev -'ry time I heard that part I cried.

    
          


Ev -'ry time I heard that part I cried.

 
166

      
              
And now I stand here star - ry eyed and stor - my.
       
  
Oh
6

 
172

             

a beau - ti ful young

        
                
just when I thought my heart was fin - 'ly numb a beau - ti ful young

         
177

        
     
man ap - pears be - fore me sing - ing "Come Oh won't you come?"

      
                     
man ap - pears be - fore me sing- ing "Come Oh won't you come?"

 
183

      


     
                
And what can I do if fin - ly for the first time the

 
188

          

if love has come at last

  
    
           
one I'm burn - ing for re - turns the glow?

    
193

          
     
it's picked the worst time. Still I know I've got to go!

                  
     
it's picked the worst time. Still I know I've got to go!
 7

    
199

              
3
    
Fly a - way. mead - ow lark fly a way

       
     
3

       
Fly a - way. mead - ow lark fly a way

               
205

        
  
in the sil - ver morn - ing. If I stay I'll grow to

 
                        
in the sil - ver morn - ing. If I stay I'll grow to

         
210

              
curse the dark, so it's off where the days won'tbind me. I know I leave wounds be-

                  
    
curse the dark, so it's off where the days won'tbind me. I know I leave wounds be-

 
215

          
3
        
hind me, but I won't let to - mor - row find me back this way.

    
3
    
           
hind me, but I won't let to - mor - row find me back this way.

   h=62  
Broadly
   
221

       
        
Be - fore my past once a - gain can blind me, fly a - way.

        
 
   
          
Be - fore my past once a - gain can blind me, fly a - way.
8

  
227

                     
  
And we won't wait to say good bye, my beau -ti - ful young man
 
                    
    

   
And we won't wait to say good bye, my beau -ti - ful young man
  
232

     
and I
  
   
   
 
and I

        
238

   

      
     
