by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
By a fountain where I lay
Language: English
By a fountain where I lay, (All blessèd be that blessèd day!) By the glimm’ring of the sun, (O never be her shining done!)[Pg 10] When I might see alone My true Love, fairest one! Love’s dear light! Love’s clear sight! No world’s eyes can clearer see! A fairer sight, none can be! Fair with garlands all addrest, (Was never Nymph more fairly blest!) Blessèd in the highest degree, (So may she ever blessèd be!) Came to this fountain near, With such a smiling cheer! Such a face, Such a grace! Happy, happy eyes, that see Such a heavenly sight as She! Then I forthwith took my pipe, Which I all fair and clean did wipe, And upon a heavenly ground, All in the grace of beauty found, Play’d this roundelay: “Welcome, fair Queen of May! Sing, sweet air! Welcome, Fair! Welcome be the Shepherds’ Queen, The glory of all our green!”
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 Dowland (1562 - 1626), "By a fountain where I lay", published 1603, from the collection The Third and Last Book of Songs or Airs [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 30
Word count: 152