Tudor and Stuart Love Songs Part 7

Holy, fair, and wise is she: The heavens such grace did lend her, That she might admired be.

Is she kind as she is fair?

For beauty lives with kindness.

Love doth to her eyes repair To help him of his blindness, And, being helped, inhabits there.

Then to Silvia let us sing, That Silvia is excelling; She excels each mortal thing Upon the dull earth dwelling: To her let us garlands bring.

William Shakespeare.

SIGH NO MORE, LADIES.

Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more, Men were deceivers ever, One foot in sea and one on sh.o.r.e, To one thing constant never: Then sigh not so, But let them go, And be you blithe and bonny, Converting all your sounds of woe Into, Hey nonny, nonny.

Sing no more ditties, sing no moe Of dumps so dull and heavy; The fraud of men was ever so, Since summer first was leafy.

Then sigh not so, But let them go, And be you blithe and bonny, Converting all your sounds of woe Into, Hey nonny, nonny.

William Shakespeare.

A MORNING SONG FOR IMOGEN.

Hark! hark! the lark at heaven's gate sings, And Phoebus 'gins arise'; His steeds to water at those springs On chalic'd flowers that lies; And winking Mary-buds begin To ope their golden eyes: With everything that pretty is, My lady sweet arise: Arise, arise.

William Shakespeare.

THE UNFAITHFUL SHEPHERDESS.

While that the sun with his beams hot Scorched the fruits in vale and mountain, Philon the shepherd, late forgot, Sitting beside a crystal fountain, In shadow of a green oak tree Upon his pipe this song play'd he: Adieu Love, adieu Love, untrue Love, Untrue Love, untrue Love, adieu Love; Your mind is light, soon lost for new love.

So long as I was in your sight I was your heart, your soul, and treasure; And evermore you sobb'd and sigh'd Burning in flames beyond all measure: --Three days endured your love to me, And it was lost in other three!

Adieu Love, adieu Love, untrue Love, Untrue Love, untrue Love, adieu Love; Your mind is light, soon lost for new love.

Another Shepherd you did see To whom your heart was soon enchained; Full soon your love was leapt from me, Full soon my place he had obtained.

Soon came a third, your love to win, And we were out and he was in.

Adieu Love, adieu Love, untrue Love, Untrue Love, untrue Love, adieu Love; Your mind is light, soon lost for new love.

Sure you have made me pa.s.sing glad That you your mind so soon removed, Before that I the leisure had To choose you for my best beloved: For all your love was past and done Two days before it was begun:-- Adieu Love, adieu Love, untrue Love, Untrue Love, untrue Love, adieu Love; Your mind is light, soon lost for new love.

Anon., circa 1564.

TRUE LOVELINESS.

It is not Beauty I demand, A crystal brow, the moon's despair, Nor the snow's daughter, a white hand, Nor mermaid's yellow pride of hair:

Tell me not of your starry eyes, Your lips that seem on roses fed, Your b.r.e.a.s.t.s, where Cupid tumbling lies, Nor sleeps for kissing of his bed:--

A bloomy pair of vermeil cheeks, Like Hebe's in her ruddiest hours, A breath that softer music speaks Than summer winds a-wooing flowers,

These are but gauds: nay, what are lips?

Coral beneath the ocean-stream, Whose brink when your adventurer slips, Full oft he perisheth on them.

And what are cheeks, but ensigns oft That wave hot youth to fields of blood?

Did Helen's breast, though ne'er so soft, Do Greece or Ilium any good?

Eyes can with baleful ardour burn; Poison can breathe, that erst perfumed; There's many a white hand holds an urn With lovers' hearts to dust consumed.

For crystal brows there's nought within, They are but empty cells for pride; He who the Siren's hair would win Is mostly strangled in the tide.

Give me, instead of Beauty's bust, A tender heart, a loyal mind, Which with temptation I would trust, Yet never link'd with error find,--

One in whose gentle bosom I Could pour my secret heart of woes, Like the care-burthen'd honey-fly That hides his murmurs in the rose,--

My earthly Comforter! whose love So indefeasible might be, That when my spirit wonn'd above, Hers could not stay, for sympathy.

Anon.

A WOMAN'S REASON.

Love me not for comely grace, For my pleasing eye or face, Nor for any outward part; No! nor for my constant heart,-- For these may fail, or turn to ill; So thou and I shall sever: Keep, therefore, a true woman's eye, And love me well, but know not why.

So hast thou the same reason still To dote upon me ever!

Anon.

LOVE WILL FIND OUT THE WAY.

Over the mountains And over the waves, Under the fountains And under the graves; Under floods that are deepest, Which Neptune obey; Over rocks that are steepest, Love will find out the way.