by Richard Lovelace (1618 - 1658)

Language: English 
When Love with unconfined wings
  Hovers within my Gates;
And my divine Althea brings
  To whisper at the Grates:
When I lye tangled in her haire,
  And fetterd to her eye;
The Gods, that wanton in the Aire,
  Know no such Liberty.

When flowing Cups run swiftly round
  With no allaying Thames,
Our carelesse heads with Roses bound,
  Our hearts with Loyall Flames;
When thirsty griefe in Wine we steepe,
  When Healths and draughts go free,
Fishes that tipple in the Deepe,
  Know no such Libertie.

When (like committed Linnets) I
  With shriller throat shall sing
The sweetnes, Mercy, Majesty,
  And glories of my KING;
When I shall voyce aloud, how Good
  He is, how Great should be;
enlargèd Winds that curle the Flood,
  Know no such Liberty.

Stone Walls doe not a Prison make,
  Nor I'ron bars a Cage;
Mindes innocent and quiet take
  That for an Hermitage;
If I have freedome in my Love,
  And in my soule am free;
Angels alone that sore above,
  Injoy such Liberty.

Composition:

    Set to music by Roger Quilter (1877 - 1953), "To Althea, from prison", op. 28 no. 4 (1925), published 1926 [ voice and piano ], from Five Jacobean Lyrics, no. 4, London, Boosey

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):


Researcher for this page: Ted Perry

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 32
Word count: 174