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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Where most my thoughts
Language: English 
Where most my thoughts, there least mine eye is striking;
  Where least I come there most my heart abideth;
Where most I love I never show my liking;
  From what my mind doth hold my body slideth;[Pg 160]
I show least care where most my care dependeth;
  A coy regard where most my soul attendeth.

Despiteful thus unto myself I languish,
  And in disdain myself from joy I banish.
These secret thoughts enwrap me so in anguish
  That life, I hope, will soon from body vanish,
And to some rest will quickly be conveyèd
  That on no joy, while so I lived, hath stayèd.

Sung text confirmed with Lyrics from the Song-Books of the Elizabethan Age, ed. by A. H. Bullen, London, John C. Nimmo, 1887, pages 159-160.


Text 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 Wilbye (1574 - 1638), "Where most my thoughts", published 1609 [vocal sextet], from Second Set of Madrigals, madrigal [ sung text verified 1 time]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2004-12-08
Line count: 12
Word count: 104

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