Diaphenia, like the daffadowndilly, White as the sun, fair as the lily, Heigh ho, how I do love thee! I do love thee as my lambs Are belovèd of their dams: How blest were I if thou would'st prove me. Diaphenia, like the spreading roses, That in thy sweets all sweets [incloses]1, Fair sweet, how I do love thee! I do love thee as each flower Loves the sun's life-giving power; For dead, thy breath to life might move me. Diaphenia, like to all things blessèd, When all thy praises are expressèd, Dear joy, how I do love thee! As the birds do love the spring, Or the bees their careful king, -- Then in requite, sweet virgin, love me!
Six Elizabethan Pastorals
Song Cycle by Charles Villiers Stanford, Sir (1852 - 1924)
3. Diaphenia  [sung text checked 1 time]
Language: English
Authorship:
- possibly by Henry Constable (1562 - 1613), "Damelus' song to Diaphenia"
- possibly by Henry Chettle (c1564 - c1607), "Damelus' song to Diaphenia"
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Tim Palmer) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
1 Argento, Browne, Moeran, and Stanford use the spelling "encloses"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Total word count: 119