by Charles Sedley, Sir (1639 - 1701)
The knotting song
Language: English
Hears not my Phillis how the birds Their feather'd mates salute? They tell their passion in their words. Must I alone, must I alone be mute? Phillis, without a frown or smile, sat and knotted all the while. The god of love in thy bright eyes Does like a tyrant reign; But in thy heart a child he lies Without his dart or flame. Phillis, without a frown or smile, sat and knotted all the while. So many months in silence past, And yet in raging love, Might well deserve one word at last, My passion should approve? Phillis, without a frown or smile, sat and knotted all the while. Must then your faithful swain expire, And not one look obtain, Which he to soothe his fond desire Might pleasingly explain? Phillis, without a frown or smile, sat and knotted all the while.
Authorship:
- by Charles Sedley, Sir (1639 - 1701) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "The knotting song", 1939, published 1994 [ voice and piano ], a realization of the Purcell song. Confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Henry Purcell (1658/9 - 1695), "The knotting song", Z. 371 [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Johann Gottfried Herder (1744 - 1803) , no title [an adaptation] ; composed by Joseph Haydn, Josef Antonín Štěpán.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 143