by John Donne (1572 - 1631)
Oh might those sighes and teares return...
Language: English
Oh might those sighes and teares return againe Into my breast and eyes, which I have spent, That I might in this holy discontent Mourne with some fruit, as I have mourn'd in vaine; In mine Idolatry what show'rs of rain Mine eyes did waste? What griefs my heart did rent? That sufferance was my sinne; now I repent 'Cause I did suffer, I must suffer paine. Th'hydroptique drunkard, and night scouting thief, The itchy lecher and self-tickling proud Have the remembrance of past joyes, for relief Of coming ills. To poore me is allow'd No ease; for long, yet vehement griefe hath been Th'effect and cause, the punishment and sinne.
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Authorship:
- by John Donne (1572 - 1631), no title, appears in Holy Sonnets, no. 3 [author's text checked 1 time 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), "Oh might those sighes and teares", op. 35 no. 3 (1945), published 1946 [ high voice and piano ], from The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Juliana Hall (b. 1958), "Oh might those sighes and teares", 2013, first performed 2014 [ tenor and piano ], from The Holy Sonnets of John Donne - 9 Songs for Tenor and Piano, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Daniel Johannsen) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 111