Four Songs [for soprano]

Song Cycle by William Martin Yeates Hurlstone (1876 - 1906)

1. Cradle song

Language: English 
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2. Thou hast left me ever, Jamie  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: Scottish (Scots) 
Thou hast left me ever, Jamie,
Thou hast left me ever:
Aften hast thou vow'd that Death
Only should us sever;
Now thou'st left thy lass for aye-
I maun see thee never, Jamie,
I'll see thee never.

Thou hast me forsaken, Jamie,
Thou hast me forsaken;
Thou canst love another jo,
While my heart is breaking;
Soon my weary een I'll close,
Never mair to waken, Jamie,
Never mair to waken!

Text Authorship:

  • by Robert Burns (1759 - 1796), "Thou hast left me ever, Jamie", written 1793

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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

3. My true love hath my heart  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
My true Love hath my heart and I have his.
By just exchange, one [for]1 the other given:
I hold his dear, and mine he cannot miss;
There never was a [bargain better]2 driven[.]3
His heart in me keeps [me and him]4 in one;
My heart in him his thoughts and senses [guides]5:
He loves my heart, for once it was his own;
I cherish his because in me it bides[.]3
His heart his wound received from my sight;
My heart was wounded with his wounded heart;
For as from me on him his hurt did light,
So still methought in me his hurt did smart:
Both equal hurt, in this change sought our bliss:
My true Love hath my heart, and I have his.

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Confirmed with Love Songs of English Poets, 1500-1800, New York : D. Appleton and Company, 1892, in which it is titled "Sonnet to Stella", which is probably not the author's title.

Parodied in Archibald Stodart-Walker's My true friend hath my hat.

1 Foote: "to"
2 Adler, Carwithen, Foote, Gounod, Rutter, Wilkinson: "better bargain"
3 Adler, Carwithen, Foote: ":/ My true Love hath my heart and I have his." (first line is repeated)
4 Adler, Carwithen, Foote: "him and me"
5 Adler, Carwithen: "guide"

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Ted Perry

4. A croon

Language: Scottish (Scots) 
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Titled "A lullaby" in Popular Rhymes of Scotland, ed by R. Chambers, Edinburgh & London, 1841.


Total word count: 197