by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
Cupid laid by his brand and fell asleep Matches original text
Language: English
Our translations: ITA
Cupid laid by his brand, and fell asleep: A maid of Dian's this advantage found, And his love-kindling fire did quickly steep In a cold valley-fountain of that ground; Which borrow'd from this holy fire of Love A dateless lively heat, still to endure, And grew a seething bath, which yet men prove Against strange maladies a sovereign cure. But at my mistress' eye Love's brand new-fired, The boy for trial needs would touch my breast; I, sick withal, the help of bath desired, And thither hied, a sad distemper'd guest, But found no cure: the bath for my help lies Where Cupid got new fire -- my mistress' eyes.
Composition:
- Set to music by David Passmore (b. 1954), "Cupid laid by his brand and fell asleep" [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Seven Dark Lady Sonnets , no. 7
Text Authorship:
- by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Sonnets, no. 153
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo) , no title, appears in Sonnets de Shakespeare, no. 153, first published 1857
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-04
Line count: 14
Word count: 109