by William D'Avenant, Sir (1606 - 1668)
Fair as unshaded light
Language: English
Fair as unshaded light, or as the day In its first birth, when all the year was May; Sweet as the altar's smoke, or as the new Unfolded bud, swelled by the early dew; Smooth as the face of waters first appeared, Ere rides began to strive or winds were heard; Kind as the willing saints, and calmer far Than in their sleeps forgiven hermits are: You, that are more than our discreeter fear Dares praise, with such full art what makes you here? Here, where the summer is so little seen, That leaves (her cheapest wealth) scarce reach at green; You come, as if the silver planet were Misled awhile from her much injured sphere, And t'ease the travails of her beams tonight, In this small lantern would contract her light.
Authorship:
- by William D'Avenant, Sir (1606 - 1668) [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 Edmund Duncan Rubbra (1901 - 1986), "Fair as unshaded light", op. 83 no. 2 [soprano, orchestra], from Ode to the Queen, no. 2. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Ahmed E. Ismail
This text was added to the website: 2004-08-04
Line count: 16
Word count: 132