by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674)
I burn, I burn ; and beg of you
Language: English
I burn, I burn ; and beg of you To quench or cool me with your dew. I fry in fire, and so consume, Although the bile be all perfume. Alas ! the heat and death's the same, Whether by choice or common flame To be in oil of roses drowned, Or water ; where's the comfort found ? Both bring one death ; and I die here Unless you cool me with a tear : Alas ! I call ; but ah ! I see Ye cool, and comfort all but me.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674), "To dews", subtitle: "A song" [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 William Lawes (1602 - 1645), "I burn, I burn. To the Dews", from the collection Songs from the Autograph Songbook, no. 28. [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2013-06-25
Line count: 12
Word count: 93