Four Songs from Herrick's 'Hesperides'

Song Cycle by Geoffrey Bush (1920 - 1998)

1. The Impatient Lover  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Come, come away,
Or let me go;
Must I here stay
Because y'are slow,
And will continue so?
Troth, lady, no.
I scorn to be
A slave to state:
And, since I'm free,
I will not wait
Henceforth at such a rate
For needy fate.
If you desire
My spark should glow,
The peeping fire
You must blow,
Or I shall quickly grow
To frost or snow.

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Confirmed with Robert Herrick, The Hesperides and Noble Numbers Edited by Alfred Pollard. London 1898


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]

2. Upon the Loss of his Mistresses  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
I have lost, and lately, these
Many dainty mistresses:
Stately Julia, prime of all:
Sappho next, a principal:
Smooth Anthea for a skin
White, and heaven-like crystalline:
Sweet Electra, and the choice
Myrrha for the lute and voice:
Next Corinna, for her wit,
And the graceful use of it:
With Perilla: all are gone;
Only Herrick's left alone
For to number sorrow by
Their departures hence, and die.

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Confirmed with Robert Herrick, The Hesperides and Noble Numbers Edited by Alfred Pollard. London 1898


Researcher for this page: Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]

3. To Electra  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
More white than whitest lilies far,
Or snow, or whitest swans you are :
More white than are the whitest creams,
Or moonlight tinselling the streams :
More white than pearls, or Juno's thigh,
Or Pelops' arm of ivory.
True, I confess, such whites as these
May me delight, not fully please ;
Till like Ixion's cloud you be
White, warm, and soft to lie with me.

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Confirmed with Robert Herrick, The Hesperides and Noble Numbers Edited by Alfred Pollard. London 1898


Research team for this page: Bertram Kottmann , Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]

4. Upon Julia's Clothes  [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English 
Whenas in silks my Julia goes,
Then, then (methinks) [how]1 sweetly flows
That liquefaction of her clothes. 

Next, when I cast mine eyes, and see
That brave vibration each way free,
O how that glittering taketh me!

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1 Still: "more"

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Total word count: 237