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by John Donne (1572 - 1631)

Wee Cannot Bid the Fruits
 (Sung text for setting by P. Rainier)
 See original
Language: English 
 ...  We cannot bid the fruits come in May,
nor the leaves to sticke on in December.  ...  There are of
them that will give, that will do justice, that
will pardon, but they have their owne seasons for al
these, and he that knowes not them, shall starve before
that gift come.  ...  Reward is the
season of one man, and importunitie of another;
feare the season of one man, and favour of
another; friendship the season of one man, and
naturall affection of another; and hee that knowes not their
seasons, nor cannot stay them, must lose the
fruits.  ... 

Note: this is a prose text. Line-breaks have been added arbitrarily. The meditation is preceded by two epigraphs as follows:

Oceano tandem emenso,
     ascipienda resurgit
Terra;   vident,   justis,
     medici, jam cocta mederi
     se posse, indiciis.
and
At last, the Physitians, after a
long and stormie voyage, see
land; They have so good signes
of the concoction of the disease,
as that they may safely proceed
to purge.

Composition:

    Set to music by (Ivy) Priaulx Rainier (1903 - 1986), "Wee Cannot Bid the Fruits", 1954 [ tenor, unaccompanied ], from Cycle for Declamation, no. 1

Text Authorship:

  • by John Donne (1572 - 1631), "Meditation XIX", appears in Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions, and severall steps in my Sicknes

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Researcher for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2023-06-16
Line count: 77
Word count: 785

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