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Shall I, wasting in despair, Die because a woman's fair? Or [my cheeks make pale]1 with care 'Cause another's rosy are? Be she fairer than the day Or the flowery meads in May -- If she be not so to me, What care I how fair she be? [Shall my foolish heart be pined]2 'Cause I see a woman kind; [Or a well disposèd nature]3 Joinèd with a lovely feature? Be she meeker, kinder, than Turtle-dove or pelican, [If she be not so to me,]4 What care I how kind she be? Shall a woman's virtues move Me to perish for her love? Or her merit's value known Make me quite forget mine own? Be she with that goodness blest Which may gain her name of Best; If she seem not such to me, What care I how good she be? 'Cause her fortune seems too high, Shall I play the fool and die? Those that bear a noble mind [Where]5 they want of riches find, Think what with them they would do [Who]6 without them dare to woo; And unless that mind I see, What care I though great she be? Great or good, or kind or fair, I will ne'er the more despair; If she love me, this believe, I will die ere she shall grieve; If she slight me when I woo, I can scorn and let her go; For if she be not for me, What care I for whom she be?
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Still: "make pale my cheeks"
2 Still: "Should my heart be grieved or pined"
3 Still: "Or her well deserving known make me quite forget"
4 Still: "If she be not such to me"
5 Still: "What"
6 Still: "That"
Authorship:
- by George Wither (1588 - 1667), "The Lover's Resolution" [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 Robert Still (1910 - 1971), "Shall I wasting in despair", alternate title: "The Manly Heart (or, in Lilyanne's case, Womanly)" [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Johann Joachim Eschenburg (1743 - 1820) [an adaptation] ; composed by Joseph Haydn.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Christian Felix Weisse (1726 - 1804) , "Der entschlossne Schäfer" [an adaptation] ; composed by Christian Gottlob Neefe.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Résolution de l'amoureux", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2004-05-02
Line count: 40
Word count: 245
Vais-je, me perdre dans le désespoir, Mourir parce qu'une femme est belle ? Ou mes jours devenir pâles de souci Parce que celles d'une autre sont roses ? Qu'elle soit plus belle que le jour Ou les prairies fleuries en Mai -- Si elle n'est pas ainsi pour moi, Que m'importe qu'elle soit belle ? Mon cœur fou dépérira-t-il Parce que j'ai vu une femme gentille ; Ou une nature bien disposée Jointe à d'adorables traits ? Qu'elle soit plus douce, plus gentille, Qu'une tourterelle ou un pélican, Si elle n'est pas ainsi pour moi, Que m'importe qu'elle soit gentille ? Les vertus d'une femme me conduiront-elles À périr pour son amour ? Ou la valeur connue de son mérite Me fait complètement oublier le mien ? Qu'elle soit avec cette bonté heureuse Qui peut lui gagner le nom de Meilleure ; Si elle ne semble pas ainsi pour moi, Que m'importe qu'elle soit bonne ? Parce que sa fortune semble trop grande, Vais-je jouer le fou et mourir ? Ceux qui portent un noble esprit Où ils veulent trouver des riches, Pensent à ce qu'ils voudraient faire avec eux Qui sans eux osent faire la cour ; Et sauf cet esprit que je vois, Que m'importe qu'elle soit si grande ? Grande ou bonne, ou gentille ou belle, Je ne désespérerai pas plus ; Si elle m'aime, crois ceci, Je mourrai avant qu'elle pleure ; Si elle m'ignore duand je lui fait la cour, Je peux la dédaigner et la laisser partir ; Car si elle n'est pas pour moi, Que m'importe pour qui elle est ?
Authorship:
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2009 by Guy Laffaille, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in English by George Wither (1588 - 1667), "The Lover's Resolution"
This text was added to the website: 2009-03-18
Line count: 40
Word count: 267