by Nahum Tate (1652 - 1715)
Tell me, some pitying angel, quickly say
Language: English
Tell me, some pitying angel, quickly say, Where does my soul's sweet darling [stray]1, In tiger's, or more cruel Herod's way? Ah! rather let his little footsteps press Unregarded through the wilderness, Where milder savages resort: The desert's safer than a tyrant's court. Why, fairest object of my love, Why dost thou from my longing eyes remove? Was it a waking dream that did foretell Thy wondrous birth? no vision from above? Where's Gabriel now that visited my cell? I call; he comes not; flatt'ring hopes, farewell. Me Judah's daughters once caress'd, Call'd me of mothers the most bless'd. Now (fatal change!) of mothers most distress'd. How shall my soul its motions guide? How shall I stem the various tide, Whilst faith and doubt my lab'ring soul divide? For whilst of thy dear sight beguil'd, I trust the God, but oh! I fear the child.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Purcell: in some versions, "stay"
Authorship:
- by Nahum Tate (1652 - 1715), "The blessed Virign's expostulation", subtitle: "When our Saviour, at twelve years of age, had withdrawn himself" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]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Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "The Blessed Virgin's Expostulation when our Saviour (at twelve years of age) had withdrawn himself", 1947 [ voice and piano ], a realization of the Purcell song.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 blessed Virgin's expostulation", Z. 196, published 1693, from Harmonia Sacra [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Athony Burton
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 21
Word count: 145