by Richard Lovelace (1618 - 1658)
To Althea, from prison
Language: English
When Love with unconfined wings Hovers within my Gates; And my divine Althea brings To whisper at the Grates: When I lye tangled in her haire, [And]1 fetterd to her eye; The Gods, that wanton in the Aire, Know no such Liberty. When flowing Cups run swiftly round With no allaying Thames, Our carelesse heads with Roses [bound]2, Our hearts with Loyall Flames; When thirsty griefe in Wine we steepe, When Healths and draughts go free, Fishes that tipple in the Deepe, Know no such Libertie. When (like committed Linnets) I With shriller throat shall sing The sweetnes, Mercy, Majesty, And glories of my KING; When I shall voyce aloud, how Good He is, how Great should be; [Inlarged]3 Winds that curle the Flood, Know no such Liberty. Stone Walls doe not a Prison make, Nor I'ron bars a Cage; Mindes innocent and quiet take That for an Hermitage; If I have freedome in my Love, And in my soule am free; Angels alone that sore above, Injoy such Liberty.
C. Parry sets stanzas 1-2, 4
1 Parry: "Or"
2 Parry: "crowned"
3 Quilter: "enlargèd"
Authorship:
- by Richard Lovelace (1618 - 1658), "To Althea, from prison" [author's text checked 1 time 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 J. Frederick Keel (1871 - 1954), "To Althea, from prison" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, Sir (1848 - 1918), "To Althea, from prison", 1895, published 1895, stanzas 1-2,4 [ voice and piano ], from English Lyrics, Third Set, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Roger Quilter (1877 - 1953), "To Althea, from prison", op. 28 no. 4 (1925), published 1926 [ voice and piano ], from Five Jacobean Lyrics, no. 4, London, Boosey [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Maude Valérie White (1855 - 1937), "To Althea from prison", published 1882 [ voice and piano ], London: Boosey & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Adolf von Marées) , "Der Cavalier im Gefängnis"
Researcher for this page: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 32
Word count: 170