by Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke, née Sidney (1561 - 1621)
If ever hapless woman had a cause
Language: English
If ever hapless woman had a cause To breath her plaintes into the open ayre, And never suffer inward griefe to pause Or seeke her sorrow shaken soules repayre Then I for I have lost my onelie brother Whose like this age can scarsly yeeld another. Come therefore mournefull Muses and lament, Forsake all wanton pleasing motions, Bedew your cheekes, stil shal my teares be spent: Yet still encreast with inundations, For must I weepe, since I have lost my brother, Whose like this age can scarsly yeeld another. The cruell hand of murther cloyde with bloud Lewdly deprivde him of his mortal life: Woe the death attended blades that stoode, In opposition gainst him in the strife, Wherein he fell, and where I lost a brother, Whose like this age can scarsly yeeld another. Then unto griefe let me a Temple make, And mourning dayly, enter sorrowes portes, Knocke on my breast, sweete brother for thy sake, Nature and love will both be my consorts, And helpe me aye to wayle my onely brother, Whose like this age can scarsly yeeld another.
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Authorship:
- by Mary Herbert, Countess of Pembroke, née Sidney (1561 - 1621) [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 Bartlet (flourished 1606-1610), "If ever hapless woman", published 1606 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ned Rorem (1923 - 2022), "If ever hapless woman had a cause", published 1979 [ soprano and piano ], from Women's Voices, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Linda Godry
This text was added to the website: 2006-05-04
Line count: 24
Word count: 183