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What if a day, or a month, or a yeare Crown thy delights with a thousand sweet contentings? Cannot a chance of a night or an howre Crosse thy desires with as many sad tormentings? Fortune, honor, beauty, youth Are but blossoms dying; Wanton pleasure, doating love, Are but shadowes flying. All our joyes are but toyes, Idle thoughts deceiving; None have power of an howre In their lives bereaving. Earthes but a point to the world, and a man Is but a point to the worlds compared centure: Shall then a point of a point be so vaine As to triumph in a seely points adventure? All is hassard that we have, There is nothing biding; Dayes of pleasure are like streames Through faire meadowes gliding. Weale and woe, time doth goe, Time is ever turning: Secret fates guide our states, Both in mirth and mourning
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Richard Alison’s An Howres Recreation in Musicke, 1606.
Most likely misattributed to Campion, as discussed in A. E. H. Swan's 1907 paper "The Authorship of 'What if a Day,' and Its Various Versions" (Modern Philology, vol. 4, no. 3, Jan. 1907, pp. 397-422). Swan cites the first known appearance of the text in the Scottish Metrical Psalter, published in 1566 (one year before Campion was born), held by the British Museum (add. 33,933, fol. 81b)
Authorship
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, no title, first published 1606 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
- sometimes misattributed to Thomas Campion (1567 - 1620)
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)
- possibly by John Dowland (1562 - 1626), "What if a day, or a month, or a yeare?", P. 79 (1602?) [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Antonio Zencovich) , "Cosa vuol dire se un giorno, un mese o anche un anno?", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this text: Antonio Zencovich , Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2017-02-09
Line count: 24
Word count: 147
Cosa vuol dire se un giorno, un mese o anche un anno Coronano i tuoi sogni con mille allegre soddisfazioni? Credi non possano le conseguenze di una notte o di un’ora Distruggere le tue speranze con altrettanti tristi tormenti? Fortuna, onore, bellezza, gioventù Sono fiori che già stanno appassendo; Un piacere sfrenato, un folle amore Ombre fuggevoli. Tutte le nostre gioie altro non sono che infantili trastulli, Fatue ubbie mendaci. Nulla ha il potere di un’ora Nel far diventare misera una vita. La terra è un punto dell’universo e un uomo Un punto di fronte alla vastità del creato. Come può il punto di un punto essere così fatuo Da esultare in qualche passaggio dell’odissea dello spirito? Tutto quanto abbiamo ci viene dato per caso. Nulla esiste di stabile: I giorni lieti sono come ruscelli Che scorrono tra boschetti graziosi, Ma alla felicità segue il dolore, il tempo non si ferma E tutto è in continua trasformazione. Un disegno occulto guida il nostro cammino Nella gioia come nel pianto.
Authorship
- Translation from English to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2017 by Antonio Zencovich, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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- a text in English by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist, no title, first published 1606 and misattributed to Thomas Campion (1567 - 1620)
This text was added to the website: 2017-02-09
Line count: 24
Word count: 169