by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Hark how the wild musicians sing
Language: English
Hark how the wild musicians sing A welcome to the new-born spring, And in sweet strains, untaught by art, Unto the wood their joys impart. Look how the fields, clad in a flow'ry dress, Seem to forget their winter nakedness. See, fairest, how the budding trees Put on their summer liveries, And deck themselves in green array, To wait upon the youthful May. Pleas'd Nature, thus dress'd up in all her charms, Smiles like a bride clasp'd in her lover's arms. Then why, Dorinda, should not we Rejoice like them, and happy be? Let's, whilst the Spring of youth doth last, Strive to redeem lost minutes past. We'll freely feast love's eager appetite With joys to which beauty and youth invite. Though now your eyes are all divine Their lustre will in time decline. If smiling Youth goes off the stage The scene will change to wither'd Age. When all your charms, Dorinda, will decay, And on a sudden vanish all away. Then let us not waste the dear minutes that Love Has allotted for pleasure, and bids us improve. To yonder cool shade, my Dorinda, we will fly; Whilst there in each other's embraces we lie, We shall pity dull mortals that never did know The greatest of blessings the gods can bestow.
Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [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 Henry Purcell (1658/9 - 1695), "Hark how the wild musicians sing", Z. 542, symphony song [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Athony Burton
This text was added to the website: 2009-07-15
Line count: 30
Word count: 214