Septet for Voices (Soprano and Tenor) and Instruments, no. 2

Song Cycle by Barney Childs (1926 - 2000)

?. Take, o take those lips away [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English

Take, o take those lips away,
That so sweetly [were]¹ forsworn;
And those eyes, the break of day,
Lights [that]² do mislead the morn:
But my kisses bring again;
Seals of love, [but]³ seal'd in vain, sealed in vain.

Hide, o hide those hills of snow
that thy frozen bosom wears,
On whose tops the pinks that grow
are yet of those that April wears;
But first set my poor heart free,
Bound in those icy chains by thee.

Text Authorship:

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
sometimes misattributed to William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (L. A. J. Burgersdijk)
FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Paavo Cajander)
FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) (Sarah L. Weller) , "Nimm, so nimm doch Deine Lippen fort", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
POL Polish (Polski) (Jan Kasprowicz) , "Śpiew Pacholęcia", Warsaw, first published 1907

View original text (without footnotes)
Note: quoted by John Fletcher, in Bloody Brother, 1639 and by William Shakespeare, in Measure for Measure, Act IV, scene 1, c1604 (just one stanza)
¹ Bishop: "are"
² Bishop: "which"
³ Bishop: "tho'"

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

?. Fear no more the heat o' the sun [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English

GUIDERIUS
Fear no more the heat o' the sun,
Nor the furious winter's rages;
Thou thy worldly task hast done,
Home art gone, and ta'en thy wages:
Golden lads and girls all must,
[As chimney-sweepers,]¹ come to dust.

ARVIRAGUS
Fear no more the frown o' the great;
Thou art past the tyrant's stroke;
Care no more to clothe and eat;
To thee the reed is as the oak:
The sceptre, learning, physic, must
All follow this, and come to dust.

GUIDERIUS
Fear no more the lightning flash,

ARVIRAGUS
Nor the all-dreaded thunder-stone;

GUIDERIUS
Fear not slander, censure rash;

ARVIRAGUS
Thou hast finish'd joy and moan:

GUIDERIUS, ARVIRAGUS
[All]² lovers young, all lovers must
Consign to thee, and come to dust.

GUIDERIUS
No exorciser harm thee!

ARVIRAGUS
Nor no witchcraft charm thee!

GUIDERIUS
Ghost unlaid forbear thee!

ARVIRAGUS
Nothing ill come near thee!

GUIDERIUS, ARVIRAGUS
Quiet consummation have;
And renowned be thy grave!

Text Authorship:

by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Cymbeline, Act IV, Scene 2

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

FIN Finnish (Suomi) (Paavo Cajander)
FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo) , no title
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
SPA Spanish (Español) (José Miguel Llata) , "Canto fúnebre para fídula", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission [an adaptation]

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ Pierson: "Follow thee, and"
² omitted by Pierson.

Researcher for this page: Ted Perry

?. Tell me where is fancy bred [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English

Tell me where is Fancy bred,
Or in the heart, or in the head?
How begot, how nourishèd?
Reply, reply.

It is engender'd in the eyes,
With gazing fed; and Fancy dies
In the cradle where it lies.
Let us all ring Fancy's knell:
I'll begin it, - Ding, dong, bell.

Text Authorship:

by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, written 1596, appears in The Merchant of Venice, Act III, Scene 2

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

FRE French (Français) (Victor Hugo)

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

?. Full fathom five thy father lies [sung text not yet checked]

Language: English

Full fathom five thy father lies,
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes:
Nothing of him that doth fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange.
Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell:
[Ding-dong.]¹
Hark! now I hear them, - ding-dong bell.

Text Authorship:

by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in The Tempest, Act I, Scene 2

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

FRE French (Français) (Guy de Pourtalès)
FRE French (Français) (Maurice Bouchor)
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Andrea Maffei) , no title, first published 1869
SWE Swedish (Svenska) (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist)

View original text (without footnotes)
¹ omitted by Ives.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

Total word count: 335