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by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

If love make me forsworn
 (Sung text for setting by J. Hall)
 Matches base text
Language: English 
If love make me forsworn, how shall I swear to love?
Ah, never faith could hold, if not to beauty vow'd!
Though to myself forsworn, to thee I'll faithful prove;
Those thoughts to me were oaks, to thee like osiers bow'd.
Study his bias leaves, and makes his book thine eyes,
Where all those pleasures live that art would comprehend.
If knowledge be the mark, to know thee shall suffice;
Well learned is that tongue that well can thee commend;
All ignorant that soul that sees thee without wonder;
Which is to me some praise, that I thy parts admire.
Thy eye Jove's lightning bears, thy voice his dreadful thunder,
Which, not to anger bent, is music and sweet fire.
Celestial as thou art, O pardon, love, this wrong,
That sings heaven's praise with such an earthly tongue.

Composition:

    Set to music by Juliana Hall (b. 1958), "If love make me forsworn", 2015, first performed 2016 [ counter-tenor and piano ], from O Mistress Mine -- 12 Songs for countertenor and piano on texts from plays by William Shakespeare, no. 3

Text Authorship:

  • by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Love's Labour's Lost, Act IV, Scene 2

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Researcher for this page: David Sims [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2016-03-01
Line count: 14
Word count: 138

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