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by Nicholas Breton (1542 - 1626)

A report song
 (Sung text for setting by J. Ireland)
 Matches base text
Language: English 
Shall we go dance the hay, the hay?
Never pipe could ever play
Better shepherd's roundelay.

Shall we go sing the song, the song?
Never Love did ever wrong.
Fair maids, hold hands all along.

Shall we go learn to woo, to woo?
Never thought came ever to
Better deed could better do.

Shall we go learn to kiss, to kiss?
Never heart could ever miss
Comfort, where true meaning is.

Thus at base they run, they run
When the sport was scarce begun.
But I waked, and all was done.

Composition:

    Set to music by John (Nicholson) Ireland (1879 - 1962), "A report song", 1938, published 1938, from Five XVIth Century Poems, no. 4

Text Authorship:

  • by Nicholas Breton (1542 - 1626)

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Researcher for this page: Ted Perry

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 15
Word count: 91

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