by (Henry) Austin Dobson (1840 - 1921)
A Madrigal
Language: English
Before me, careless, lying, Young Love his wares came crying. Full soon the elf untreasures His pack of pains and pleasures; With roguish eye, He bids me buy From out his pack of treasures. His wallet's stuffed with blisses, With true-love knots and kisses, With rings and rosy fetters, And sugar'd vows and letters. He holds them out With boyish flout, And bids me try the fetters. "Nay, child," I cry, "I know them; There's little need to shew them! Too well for new believing I know their old deceiving, I am too old," I say, "and cold, Today, for new believing"! But still the wanton presses, With honey-sweet caresses, And still, to my undoing, He wins me with his wooing, To buy his ware With all its care, It's sorrow and undoing.
Authorship:
- by (Henry) Austin Dobson (1840 - 1921) [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 Herbert Norman Howells (1892 - 1983), "A Madrigal", op. 22 (Four Songs) no. 2 (1916), published 1919 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Virginia Knight
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 133