Ballads, English -- Texts; English poetry -- Early modern, 1500-1700; Songs, English -- England -- Texts
From THOMAS WEELKES' _Madrigals of Five and Six Parts_, 1600.
Why are you Ladies staying,
And your Lords gone a-maying?
Run apace and meet them
And with your garlands greet them.
'Twere pity they should miss you,
For they will sweetly kiss you.
From JOHN DOWLAND's _First Book of Songs or Airs_, 1597.
Wilt thou, Unkind! thus 'reave me
Of my heart and so leave me?
Farewell!
But yet, or ere I part, O Cruel,
Kiss me, Sweet, my Jewel!
Farewell!
Hope by disdain grows cheerless,
Fear doth love, love doth fear;
Beauty peerless,
Farewell!
If no delays can move thee,
Life shall die, death shall live
Still to love thee.
Farewell!
Yet be thou mindful ever!
Heat from fire, fire from heat,
None can sever.
Farewell!
True love cannot be changed,
Though delight from desert
Be estranged.
Farewell!
From THOMAS CAMPION's _Two Books of Airs_ (circ. 1613).
Wise men patience never want,
Good men pity cannot hide;
Feeble spirits only vaunt
Of revenge, the poorest pride:
He alone forgive that can
Bears the true soul of a man.
Some there are debate that seek,
Making trouble their content;
Happy if they wrong the meek,
Vex them that to peace are bent:
Such undo the common tie
Of mankind, Society.
Kindness grown is lately cold,
Conscience hath forgot her part;
Blessed times were known of old
Long ere Law became an art:
Shame deterred, not statutes then;
Honest love was law to men.
Deeds from love, and words, that flow,
Foster like kind April showers;
In the warm sun all things grow,
Wholesome fruits and pleasant flowers:
All so thrives his gentle rays
Whereon human love displays.
From JOHN DOWLAND's _Second Book of Songs or Airs_, 1600.
Woeful Heart, with grief oppressed!
Since my fortunes most distressed
From my joys hath me removed,
Follow those sweet eyes adored!
Those sweet eyes wherein are stored
All my pleasures best beloved.
Fly my breast--leave me forsaken--
Wherein Grief his seat hath taken,
All his arrows through me darting!
Thou mayst live by her sunshining:
I shall suffer no more pining
By thy loss than by her parting.
From THOMAS GREAVES' _Songs of Sundry Kinds_, 1604.
Ye bubbling springs that gentle music makes
To lovers' plaints with heart-sore throbs immixed,
When as my dear this way her pleasure takes,
Tell her with tears how firm my love is fixed;
And, Philomel, report my timerous fears,
And, echo, sound my heigh-ho's in her ears:
But if she asks if I for love will die,
Tell her, Good faith, good faith, good faith,--not I.
From FARMER's _First Set of English Madrigals_, 1599.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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