Adieu, farewell earth's blisse,
This world uncertain is,
Fond are lifes lustfull joyes,
Death proves them all but toyes.
None from his darts can flye,
I am sick I must die--
Lord have mercy on us.
Rich men, trust not in wealth,
Gold cannot buy you health;
Physic himself must fade.
All things to end are made.
The plague full swift goes by;
I am sick, I must die--
Lord have mercy on us.
Beauty is but a flower,
Which wrinkles will devour,
Brightness falls from the air,
Queens have died young and fair,
Dust hath closed Helen's eye.
I am sick, I must die--
Lord have mercy on us.
Strength stoops unto the grave,
Worms feed on Hector brave
Swords [may not]1 fight with fate
Earth still holds ope her gate;
Come, come! the bells do cry;
I am sick, I must die--
Lord have mercy on us.
Wit with his wantonness
Tasteth death's bitterness
Hell's executioner
Hath no ears for to hear
What vain art can reply;
I am sick, I must die--
Lord have mercy on us.
Haste therefore each degree,
To welcome destiny:
Heav'n is our heritage,
Earth but a player's stage,
Mount we unto the sky.
I am sick, I must die--
Lord have mercy on us.
R. Bennett sets stanzas 1-4, 6
D. Rowland sets stanza 1 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
D. Rowland sets stanza 4 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
P. Ruders sets stanza 1 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
P. Ruders sets stanza 2 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
P. Ruders sets stanza 3 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
P. Ruders sets stanza 4 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
P. Ruders sets stanza 5 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
P. Ruders sets stanza 6 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
J. Dove sets stanzas 1-3
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Rowland: "cannot"
Text Authorship:
- by Thomas Nashe (1567 - 1601), "A Litany in Time of Plague", written 1593, appears in Summer's Last Will and Testament, first published 1600 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Richard Rodney Bennett (1936 - 2012), "Adieu, farewell earth's blisse", stanzas 1-4,6, from Tenebrae, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Jonathan Dove (b. 1959), "Adieu! farewell earth’s bliss!", 2000, stanzas 1-3, from The Passing of the Year, no. 6 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Constant Lambert (1905 - 1951), "Movement VI. Saraband", from Summer's Last Will and Testament, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by David Rowland (b. 1939), "Adieu, farewell earth's bliss", 1981, stanza 1, from Nashe Songs, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by David Rowland (b. 1939), "Strength stoops unto the grave", 1981, stanza 4, from Nashe Songs, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Poul Ruders (b. 1949), "Adieu, farewell earth's bliss!", 1974, published 1975, stanza 1 [ soprano, piano and guitar ], from Pestilence Songs, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Poul Ruders (b. 1949), "Rich men, trust not in wealth", 1974, published 1975, stanza 2 [ soprano, piano and guitar ], from Pestilence Songs, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Poul Ruders (b. 1949), "Beauty is but a flower", 1974, published 1975, stanza 3 [ soprano, piano and guitar ], from Pestilence Songs, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Poul Ruders (b. 1949), "Strength stoops unto the grave", 1974, published 1975, stanza 4 [ soprano, piano and guitar ], from Pestilence Songs, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Poul Ruders (b. 1949), "Wit with his wantonness", 1974, published 1975, stanza 5 [ soprano, piano and guitar ], from Pestilence Songs, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Poul Ruders (b. 1949), "Haste, therefore, each degree", 1974, published 1975, stanza 6 [ soprano, piano and guitar ], from Pestilence Songs, no. 6, note: based on the song "Si petite" by Gaston Claret [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Ahmed E. Ismail
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 42
Word count: 213