Bring with you all the nymphes that you can heare,
Both of the rivers and the forrests greene,
And of the sea that neighbours to her neare,
All with gay girlands goodly wel beseene.
And let them also with them bring in hand
Another gay girland,
For my fayre Love, of lillyes and of roses,
Bound truelove wize with a blew silke riband.
And let them make great store of bridale poses,
And let them eke bring store of other flowers,
To deck the bridale bowers:
[ ... ]
Which done, doe at her chamber dore awayt,
For she will waken strayt;
The whiles do ye this song unto her sing,
The woods shall to you answer, and your eccho ring.
Wake now
Set by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958), "Wake now", 1957, published 1957 [ baritone, mixed chorus, orchestra ], from cantata Epithalamion, no. 2, London, Oxford University Press  [sung text checked 1 time]
Note: this setting is made up of several separate texts.
Authorship:
- by Edmund Spenser (1552 - 1599), no title, appears in Amoretti and Epithalamion, in Epithalamion, no. 3
Go to the single-text view
Confirmed with The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume V, edited by Francis J. Child, London: Imprinted for William Ponsonbie, dwelling in Paules Churchyard at the Signe of the Bishops Head, 1591.
Notes in text:
Beseene, adorned.
Diapred, variegated.
Modernized spelling used in Vaughan Williams's music:
Bring with you all the Nymphs that you can hear Both of the rivers and the forests green: And of the sea that neighbours to her near, All with gay garlands goodly well be seen. And let them also with them bring in hand, Another gay garland for my fair love, of lilies and of roses, Bound truelove wise with a blue silk riband. And let them make great store of bridal posies, And let them eke bring store of other flowers To deck the bridal bowers. ... Which done, do at her chamber door await, For she will waken straight, The whiles do you this song unto her sing, The woods shall … answer and your echo ring.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Wake now, my Love, awake! for it is time:
[ ... ]
Hark! how the cheerefull birds do chaunt theyr laies,
And carroll of Loves praise:
The merry larke hir mattins sings aloft;
The thrush replyes; the mavis descant playes;
The ouzell shrills; the ruddock warbles soft;
So goodly all agree, with sweet consent,
To this dayes meriment.
Ah! my deere Love, why doe ye sleepe thus long,
When meeter were that ye should now awake,
T'awayt the comming of your ioyous make,
And hearken to the birds love-learned song,
The deawy leaves among!
For they of ioy and pleasance to you sing,
That all the woods them answer, and theyr eccho ring.
Authorship:
- by Edmund Spenser (1552 - 1599), no title, appears in Amoretti and Epithalamion, in Epithalamion, no. 5
Go to the single-text view
Confirmed with The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume V, edited by Francis J. Child, London: Imprinted for William Ponsonbie, dwelling in Paules Churchyard at the Signe of the Bishops Head, 1591.
Notes in text:
Mavis, song-thrush.
Descant, variation.
Ouzell, blackbird.
Ruddock, redbreast.
Make, mate.
Modernized spelling used in Vaughan Williams's music:
Wake now my love, awake; for it is time; ... Hark! how the cheerfull birds do chant their lays And carol of love's praise. The merry Lark her matins sings aloft, The Thrush replies, the Mavis descant plays, The Ouzel shrills, the Ruddock warbles soft; So goodly all agree with sweet consent, To this day's merriment. Ah my dear love why do ye sleep thus long, When meeter were that ye should now awake, T'await the coming of your joyous make, And hearken to the birds' love learnèd song, The dewy leaves among. For they of joy and pleasance to you sing. That all the woods them answer and their echo ring.
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Gustav Ringel