by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Alas, what a wretched life
Language: English
Alas, what a wretched life is this, Nay what a death, Where the tyrant, Love, commandeth. My flowring days are in their prime declining, All my proud hope, quite fallen, and life untwining: My joys each after other in haste are flying And leave me dying for her that scorns my crying. O she from hence departs, my Love refraining, For whom, all heartless, alas, I die complaining.
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), "Alas, what a wretched life", published 1598 [ vocal quintet], madrigal [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2004-12-08
Line count: 9
Word count: 68