Five Songs for Voice and Pianoforte , opus 167

by Fritz Bennicke Hart (1874 - 1949)

1. A short hymn to Venus  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Goddess, I do love a girl,
Ruby-lipp'd and tooth'd with pearl;
If so be I may but prove
Lucky in this maid I love,
I will promise there shall be
Myrtles offer'd up to thee.

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2. How marigolds came yellow  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Jealous girls these sometimes were,
While they liv'd or lasted here :
Turn'd to flowers, still they be
Yellow, mark'd for jealousy.

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3. A Hymn to Venus and Cupid  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Sea-born goddess, let me be
By thy son thus grac'd and thee ;
That whene'er I woo, I find
Virgins coy but not unkind.
Let me when I kiss a maid
Taste her lips so overlaid
With love's syrup, that I may,
In your temple when I pray,
Kiss the altar and confess
There's in love no bitterness.

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Confirmed with Works of Robert Herrick, Vol I, ed. by Alfred Pollard, London, Lawrence & Bullen, 1891, page 174.


4. To the water nymphs drinking at the fountain  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Reach, with your whiter hands, to me
Some crystal of the spring;
And I about the cup shall see
Fresh lilies flourishing.
Or else, sweet nymphs, do you but this,
To th' glass your lips incline;
And I shall see by that one kiss
The water turn'd to wine.

Text Authorship:

  • by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674), "To the water nymphs drinking at the fountain"

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5. To Anthea

Language: English 
— This text is not currently
in the database but will be added
as soon as we obtain it. —

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Note: Herrick wrote several poems with the title "To Anthea". We don't know yet which ones Hart set, so this is a temporary placeholder.