by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
When I was otherwise
Language: English
When I was otherwise then now I am, I loved more but skilled not so much, faire words & smiles, could have contented than, my symple age and ignorance was such: But at the length, experience made me wonder, that harts and tongues did lodge so farre asunder. As watermen which on the Thames doe row, Looke to the East, but West keepes on the way, My Soveraigne sweet, her countenaunce setled so, To feede my hope while shee her snares might laie, And when shee saw, that I was in her danger, Good God, how soone she proved then a ranger. I could not choose but laugh although to late, To see great craft dissifered [deciphered] in a toy, I love her still, but such conditions hate, Which so prophaines my Paradice of joy. Love whets the wits, whose paine is but a pleasure, A toy, by fits, to play with all at leasure.
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 William Byrd (1542?3? - 1623), "When I was otherwise", published 1589 [SATTB chorus a cappella], from the collection Songs of sundrie natures, no. 30. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-08-09
Line count: 18
Word count: 155