Four Madrigals

Song Cycle by Hans Gál (1890 - 1987)

1. Youth and Cupid
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
When I was fair and young, and favour graced me,
Of many was I sought, their mistress for to be.
But I did scorn them all, and said to them therefore:
"Go, go, go, seek some otherwhere, importune me no more."

 ... 

Then spake fair Venus' son, that proud, victorious boy,
Saying: You dainty dame, for that you be so coy,
I will so pluck your plumes as you shall say no more:
"Go, go, go, seek some otherwhere, importune me no more."

As soon as he had said, such change grew in my breast
That neither night nor day I could take any rest,
Wherefore I did repent that I had said before:
"Go, go, go, seek some otherwhere, importune me no more."

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2. True love
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
My true love hath my heart, and I have his,
  By just exchange one for another given:
I hold his dear, and mine he cannot miss,
  There never was a better bargain driven:
      My true love hath my heart, and I have his.
 
His heart in me keeps him and me in one,
  My heart in him his thoughts and senses guides:
He loves my heart, for once it was his own,
  I cherish his because in me it bides:
      My true love hath my heart, and I have his.

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Note: parodied in Archibald Stodart-Walker's My true friend hath my hat.

Note: Somervell's setting has several changes to the punctuation (as supplied by Mike Pearson):
Line One: No first comma
Line Three: No first comma
Line Five: No first comma
Line Seven: Full stop not colon
Line Eight: Full stop not colon
Line Ten: No first comma

Researcher for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

3. A cradle song
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
Golden slumbers kiss your eyes,
Smiles awake you when you rise:
Sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby,
Rock them, rock them, lullaby.

Care is heavy, therefore sleep you;
You are care and care must keep you:
Sleep, pretty wantons, do not cry,
And I will sing a lullaby:
Rock them, rock them, lullaby.

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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

4. Foolish love
 (Sung text)

Language: English 
Some say love, foolish love,
doth rule and govern gods.
I say love, inconstant love,
sets men's senses far at odds.
Some swear love, smooth-face love,
is sweetest sweet that men can have.
I say love, sour love,
makes virtue yield as beauty's slave.
A bitter sweet, a folly vorst of all,
that forceth wisdom to be folly's thrall.
Love is sweet.
In fading pleasures that do pain.
Wherein sweet? Is that sweet,
that yieldeth sorrow for a gain?
If love's sweet, herein sweet,
that minute's joys are monthly woes.
'Tis not sweet, that is sweet nowhere
but where repentance grows.
Then love who list, if beauty be so sour:
Labour for me; love rest in prince's bower.

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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Total word count: 397