Your yën two wol sle me sodenly, I may the beaute of hem not sustene, So woundeth hit through-out my herte kene. And but your word wol helen hastily My hertes wounde, whyl that hit is grene, Your yën two wol sle me sodenly; may the beaute of hem not sustene. Upon my trouthe I sey yow feithfully, That ye ben of my lyf and deth the quene; For with my deth the trouthe shal be sene. Your yën two wol sle me sodenly, I may the beaute of hem not sustene, So woundeth hit through-out my herte kene.
Three Rondels
by Arnold Edward Trevor Bax, Sir (1883 - 1953)
1. Roundel  [sung text not yet checked]
Language: English
Authorship:
- by Geoffrey Chaucer (c1343 - 1400), "Captivity", appears in Merciles Beaute: A Triple Roundel, no. 1
See other settings of this text.
Vaughan Williams uses a version with more modernized spelling:Your eyën two will slay me suddenly: I may the beauty of them not sustene, So woundeth it throughout my hertë ken. And but your word will helen hastily My hertës woundë, while that it is green, Your eyën two will slay me suddenly: I may the beauty of them not sustene, Upon my troth I say to you faithfully, That ye be my life and death the queen, For with my death the truthë shall be seen: Your eyën two will slay me suddenly: I may the beauty of them not sustene, So woundeth it throughout my hertë kene.
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Ted Perry
2. Welcome sooner
Language: English
— This text is not currently
in the database but will be added
as soon as we obtain it. —
3. Of her mercy
Language: English
— This text is not currently
in the database but will be added
as soon as we obtain it. —
Total word count: 99