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from Volkslieder (Folksongs)
Translation by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

The willow song
 (Sung text for setting by A. Sullivan)
 Matches base text
Language: English  after the Middle English 
Desdemona
 The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree,
 Sing all a green willow:
 Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee,
 Sing willow, willow, willow:
 The fresh streams ran by her, and murmur'd her moans;
 Sing willow, willow, willow;
 Her salt tears fell from her, and soften'd the stones;

 Lay by these:--

 Sing willow, willow, willow;

 Prithee, hie thee; he'll come anon:--

 Sing all a green willow must be my garland.

 Let nobody blame him; his scorn I approve,-

 Nay, that's not next. -- Hark! who is't that knocks?

Emilia:
 It's the wind.

Desdemona:
 I call'd my love false love; but what said he then? 
 Sing willow, willow, willow:
 If I court moe women, you'll couch with moe men!

Composition:

    Set to music by Arthur Sullivan, Sir (1842 - 1900), "The willow song", published 1866 [ voice and piano ], from 5 Shakespeare Songs

Text Authorship:

  • by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), appears in The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, Act IV scene 3 [an adaptation]

Based on:

  • a text in Middle English from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Willow song", first published 1583
    • Go to the text page.

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo)
  • RUS Russian (Русский) (Boris Leonidovich Pasternak)


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 119

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