Desdemona The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree, Sing all a green willow: Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee, Sing willow, willow, willow: The fresh streams ran by her, and murmur'd her moans; Sing willow, willow, willow; Her salt tears fell from her, and soften'd the stones; [Lay by these:--]1 Sing willow, willow, willow; [Prithee, hie thee; he'll come anon:--]1 Sing all a green willow [must be my garland.]2 [Sing all a green willow;]3 [Let nobody blame him; his scorn I approve,-]4 [Nay, that's not next.--Hark! who is't that knocks? Emilia: It's the wind.]1 Desdemona: [Sing willow, willow, willow,]3 [I call'd my love false love; but what said he then? Sing willow, willow, willow: If I court moe women, you'll couch with moe men!]4 [Sing willow, willow, willow,]3
Three Elizabethan Songs
Song Cycle by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958)
?. The willow song  [sung text checked 1 time]
Language: English
Authorship:
- by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), appears in The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, Act IV scene 3 [an adaptation]
Based on:
- a text in Middle English from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Willow song", first published 1583
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo)
- RUS Russian (Русский) (Boris Leonidovich Pasternak)
1 not set by Fortner, Korngold, Parry, Vaughan Williams
2 Korngold: "my garland must be"
3 added by Korngold
4 not set by Parry, Vaughan Williams; Fortner: "I'd called my love false love, but what did he say? / Sing willow, willow willow,/ If I court moe women, you'll couch with moe men!"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Total word count: 134