1933

To a Brown Girl, Dead

Composed by Margaret Bonds
"To a Brown Girl Dead" is a song by Margaret Bonds, composed in 1933 and revised in 1956. The poem is by Countee Cullen. A German translation of this poem has also been set by Alexander Zemlinsky in his Symphonische Gesänge.

Audio

To A Brown Girl, Dead
Daveda Karanas, mezzo-soprano; Michael Ippolito, piano1:57

Margaret Bonds

Composer

Countee Cullen

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

2022

Date

University of California, Irvine, Winifred Smith Hall

Location

This recording was part of a 5:30pm concert ("A Salute to Margaret Bonds (1913-1972)") on Saturday, October 15, 2022 during the 25th Anniversary African American Art Song Alliance Conference. The concert venue was Winifred Smith Hall at the University of California, Irvine.

Text

To a brown girl dead
by Countee Cullen

With two white roses on her breasts,
White candles at head and feet,
Dark Madonna of the grave she rests;
Lord Death has found her sweet.

Her mother pawned her wedding ring
To lay her out in white;
She’d be so proud she’d dance and sing
to see herself tonight.

Video

Sheet Music

“To a Brown Girl Dead”

Margaret Bonds
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