by John Donne (1572 - 1631)

Sweetest love, I do not go
 (Sung text for setting by M. Emery)
 See original
Language: English 
Our translations:  ITA
Sweetest love, I do not go,
    For weariness of thee,
Nor in hope the world can show
    A fitter love for me ;
        But since that I
Must die at last, 'tis best
To use myself in jest/Thus by feign'd deaths to die.

 ... 

When thou sigh'st, thou sigh'st not wind,
    But sigh'st my soul away ;
When thou weep'st, unkindly kind,
    My life's blood doth decay.
        It cannot be
That thou lov'st me as thou say'st,
If in thine my life thou waste,
    That art the best of me.

Composition:

    Set to music by Matthew Emery (b. 1991), "Sweetest love, I do not go", 2013, stanzas 1,4 [ SATB chorus a cappella ]

Text Authorship:

  • by John Donne (1572 - 1631), "Song: Sweetest love, I do not go"

See other settings of this text.

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

  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Mio dolcissimo amore", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-01-08
Line count: 40
Word count: 215