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Ask me no more where [Jove]1 bestows, When June is past, the fading rose; For in your beauty's orient deep These flowers, as in their causes, sleep. Ask me no more whither do stray The golden atoms of the day; For in pure love heaven did prepare Those powders to enrich your hair. Ask me no more whither doth haste The nightingale, when [May]2 is past; For in your sweet dividing throat She winters, and keeps warm her note. Ask me no more where those stars 'light, That downwards fall [in]3 dead of night; For in your eyes they sit, and there Fixèd become as in their sphere. Ask me no more if east or west The Phœnix builds her spicy nest; For unto you at last she flies, And in your fragrant bosom dies.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotes1 Headlam-Morley: "Love"
2 Headlam-Morley: "June"
3 Headlam-Morley: "at"
Text Authorship:
- by Thomas Carew (1595? - 1639?), "Ask me no more" [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 Olivier Greif (1950 - 2000), "Song", op. 310 no. 7 (1995) [ voice and piano ], from Les chants de l'âme, no. 7 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by William Lawes (1602 - 1645), "Ask me no more where Jove bestows", from Songs from the Autograph Songbook, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Elisabeth Charlotta Henrietta Ernestina Sonntag (1866 - 1950), "Ask me no more", 1898, published 1899, first performed 1925 [ voice and piano ], as Else Headlam-Morley [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Maude Valérie White (1855 - 1937), "When June is past", published 1888 [ voice and piano ], London: Stanley Lucas, Weber & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Chant", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Jacques L'oiseleur des Longchamps
This text was added to the website: 2009-03-21
Line count: 20
Word count: 138
Ne me demande plus où Jupiter loge Quand Juin est parti, les roses sont fanées ; Car dans l'orient profond de ta beauté Ces fleurs, comme dans leurs causes, dorment. Ne me demande plus où errent Les atomes dorés du jour ; Car dans l'amour pur le ciel a préparé Ces poudres pour enrichir tes cheveux. Ne me demande plus où se hâte Le rossignol, quand Mai est parti ; Car dans ta gorge douce qui partage, Il hiberne, et garde au chaud sa note. Ne me demande plus où s'allument ces étoiles Qui tombent en bas au plus profond de la nuit Car dans tes yeux elle reposent, et là Deviennent fixes, comme dans leur sphère. Ne me demande plus si c'est à l'est ou à l'ouest Que le phénix construit son nid épicé ; Car vers toi enfin il vole, Et dans ton sein parfumé meurt.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2010 by Guy Laffaille, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
- a text in English by Thomas Carew (1595? - 1639?), "Ask me no more"
This text was added to the website: 2010-08-01
Line count: 20
Word count: 144