Four Songs , opus 8

by Edmund Duncan Rubbra (1901 - 1986)

1. Cradle song  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
O men from the fields,
  Come gently within,
Tread softly, softly,
  O men, coming in...

[For]1 [m'mhurnin]2 is going
  From me and from you
Where Mary will fold him
  With mantle of blue,

From reek of the smoke
  And cold of the floor
And [peering]3 of things
  Across the half-door.

O men from the fields,
  Softly, softly come through;
Mary puts round him 
  Her mantle of blue.

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1 omitted by Coulthard and Moeran
2 Coulthard, Moeran, and Weigl: "Mavourneen"
3 Moeran: "the peering"

2. There is a lady  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
There is a Lady sweet and kind,
Was never face so pleased my mind;
I did but see her passing by,
And yet [I]1 love her till I die.

Her gesture, motion and her [smiles]2,
Her wit, her voice, my heart [beguiles]3;
[Beguiles]3 my heart, I know not why,
And yet [I]1 love her till I die.

Her free behavior, winning looks,
Will make a Lawyer burn his books;
I touched her not, alas! not I,
And yet [I]1 love her till I die.

Had I her fast betwixt mine arms,
Judge you that think such sports were harms;
Were't any harm? No, no, fie, fie!
For I will love her till I die.

Should I remain confinèd there
So long as Phœbus in his sphere,
I to request, she to deny,
Yet would I love her till I die.

[Cupid is winged and doth range
Her country so my love doth change;
But change she earth or change she sky,
Yet will I love her till I die.]4

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, found on back of leaf 53 of Popish Kingdome or Reigne of Antichrist; published in 1607 in Thomas Ford's Music of Sundry Kinds

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1 Baxter: "I'll"
2 Parry, Purcell: "smile"
3 Parry, Purcell: "beguile"
4 Baxter: 
Cupid has wings and he does range;
So if her land my love does change,
But change she earth or change she sky, 
And yet I'll love her till I die.

3. Who is Silvia?  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Who is Silvia? what is she?
That all our Swaines commend her?
Holy, faire, and wise is she.
The heavens such grace did lend her,
That she might admired be.

Is she kinde as she is faire?
For beauty lives with kindnesse:
Love doth to her eyes repaire,
To helpe him of his blindnesse:
And being help'd, inhabits there.

Then to Silvia, let us sing,
That Silvia is excelling;
She excels each mortall thing
Upon the dull earth dwelling.
To her let us Garlands bring.

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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (L. A. J. Burgersdijk)
  • FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Erkki Pullinen) , "Kuka on Silvia?", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "À Silvia", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Carlo Rusconi) , first published 1859
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Juan Henríquez Concepción) , "¿Quién es Silvia?", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Confirmed with Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. Published according to the True Originall Copies. London. Printed by Isaac Iaggard, and Ed. Blount. 1623 (Facsimile from the First Folio Edition, London: Chatto and Windus, Piccadilly. 1876), page 33 of the Comedies.


4. Orpheus with his lute  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Orpheus with his lute made trees,
And the mountain-tops that freeze,
  Bow themselves, when he did sing:	
To his music, plants and flowers
Ever [sprung]1; as sun and showers
  There had made a lasting spring.

Everything that heard him play,
Even the billows of the sea,
  Hung their heads, and then lay by.
In sweet music is such art:
Killing care and grief of heart
  Fall asleep, or, hearing, die.

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Note: according to Miscellanies, Issues 3-4, published by the New Shakspere Society of Great Britain, "Shakspere wrote only 1168.5 of the 2822 lines of the play. The rest are Fletcher's." The song is part of the Fletcher portion of Henry VIII, and appears in Act III scene 1.

1 Greene: "rose"; Blitzstein: "sprang"