by Richard Lovelace (1618 - 1658)
To Gratiana dancing and singing
Language: English
See! with what constant motion Even, and glorious, as the sun, Gratiana steers that noble frame, Soft as her breast, sweet as her voice That gave each winding law and poise, And swifter than the wings of Fame. Each step trod out a lover's thought And the ambitious hopes he brought, Chain'd to her brave feet with such arts; Such sweet command, and gentle awe, As when she ceas'd, we sighing saw The floor lay pav'd with broken hearts. So did she move; so did she sing Like the harmonious spheres that bring Unto their rounds their music's aid; Which she performed such a way, As all th' enamoured world will say: The Graces danced, and Apollo play'd.
Text Authorship:
- by Richard Lovelace (1618 - 1658) [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 William Denis Browne (1888 - 1915), "To Gratiana dancing and singing", 1913. [voice and piano] [ sung text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 118