by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
O softly drop, mine eyes
Language: English
Softly, O softly drop, mine eyes, lest you be dry, and make my heart with grief to melt and die. Now pour our tears apace, now stay, O heavy case, O sour-sweet woe, alas, alas, O grief, O joy, why strive you so? Can pains and joys at once in one poor heart consent? Then sigh and sing, rejoice, lament. Ay me, ay me, O passions strange and violent! Was never poor wretch so sore tormented? Nor joy nor grief can make my heart contented: for while wjth joy I look on high, down, down I fall with grief and die.
Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by John Wilbye (1574 - 1638), "O softly drop, mine eyes", published 1609 [ vocal sextet], madrigal [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Bart O'Brien
This text was added to the website: 2004-12-08
Line count: 13
Word count: 101