by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Whither so fast?
Language: English
Whither so fast? see how the kindly flowers Perfume the air, and all to make thee stay: The climbing wood-bine, clipping all these bowers, Clips thee likewise for fear thou pass away; Fortune our friend, our foe will not gainsay. Stay but awhile, Phœbe no tell-tale is; She her Endymion, I’ll my Phœbe kiss. Fear not, the ground seeks but to kiss thy feet; Hark, hark, how Philomela sweetly sings! Whilst water-wanton fishes as they meet Strike crotchet time amidst these crystal springs, And Zephyrus amongst the leaves sweet murmur rings. Stay but awhile, Phœbe no tell-tale is; She her Endymion, I’ll my Phœbe kiss. See how the helitrope, herb of the sun, Though he himself long since be gone to bed, Is not of force thine eye’s bright beams to shun, But with their warmth his goldy leaves unspread, And on my knee invites thee rest thy head. Stay but awhile, Phœbe no tell-tale is; She her Endymion, I’ll my Phœbe kiss.
Lyrics from the Song-Books of the Elizabethan Age, ed. by A. H. Bullen, London, John C. Nimmo, 1887, page 166.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
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 Francis Pilkington (d. 1638), "Whither so fast?", published 1605 [ satb quartet, lute ], from First Book of Songs or Airs, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2014-02-25
Line count: 21
Word count: 163