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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

I live, and yet methinks
Language: English 
I live, and yet methinks I do not breathe;
I thirst and drink, I drink and thirst again;
I sleep and yet do dream I am awake;
I hope for that I have; I have and want:
I sing and sigh; I love and hate at once.
  O, tell me, restless soul, what uncouth jar
  Doth cause in store such want, in peace such war?

Risposta.
There is a jewel which no Indian mines
Can buy, no chymic art can counterfeit;
It makes men rich in greatest poverty;
Makes water wine, turns wooden cups to gold,
The homely whistle to sweet music’s strain:
  Seldom it come, to few from heaven sent,
  That much in little, all in nought, — Content.

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), "I live, and yet methinks", published 1609 [vocal trio], from the collection Second Set of Madrigals, madrigal [
     text verified 1 time
    ]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2004-12-08
Line count: 15
Word count: 120

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–Emily Ezust, Founder

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