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THRENOS
Beauty, truth, and rarity,
Grace in all simplicity,
Here enclosed in cinders lie.
Death is now the phoenix' nest;
And the turtle's loyal breast
To eternity doth rest,
Leaving no posterity:
'Twas not their infirmity,
It was married chastity.
Truth may seem, but cannot be;
Beauty brag, but 'tis not she;
Truth and beauty buried be.
To this urn let those repair
That are either true or fair;
For these dead birds sigh a prayer.
The English Songs
Song Cycle by Colin Brumby (b. 1933)
?. Threnos [sung text not yet checked]
Language: English
Text Authorship:
- by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), "The phoenix and the turtle"
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo) , "Le Phénix et la colombe"
Total word count: 353