by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Shall a frown or angry eye
Language: English 
Shall a frowne or angrie eye,
Shall a word vnfitly placed ?
Shall a shadow make me flie,
As I were with Tygers chaced ?
Loue must not be so disgraced.

Shall I woe her in dispight ?
Shall I turne her from her flying ?
Shall I tempt her with delight,
Shall I laugh out her denying ?
Noe, beware of louers crying.
 
Shall I then with patient mind,
Still attend her wayward pleasure,
Time will make her proue more kind,
Let her coynesse then take leasure,
Paines are worthy such a treasure.

Note: the modernized form below is from Lyrics from the Song-Books of the Elizabethan Age, ed. by A. H. Bullen, London, John C. Nimmo, 1887, page 99:

Shall a frown or angry eye,
Shall a word unfitly placèd,
Shall a shadow make me flie
As if I were with tigers chasèd?
Love must not be so disgracèd.

Shall I woo her in despight?
Shall I turn her from her flying?
Shall I tempt her with delight?
Shall I laugh at her denying?
No: beware of lovers’ crying.

Shall I then with patient mind
Still attend her wayward pleasure?
Time will make her prove more kind,
Let her coyness then take leisure:
She is worthy such a treasure.


Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Bertram Kottmann

This text was added to the website: 2014-02-25
Line count: 15
Word count: 89