If [all]1 the world [and love were]2 young,
And truth in every shepherd's tongue,
These pretty pleasures might me move
To live with thee and be thy love.

[Time drives the flocks]3 from field to fold
When rivers rage and rocks grow cold,
And Philomel becometh dumb;
The rest complains of cares to come.

The flowers do fade, and wanton fields
To wayward winter reckoning yields;
A honey tongue, a heart of gall,
Is fancy's spring, but sorrow's fall.

Thy gowns, thy shoes, thy beds of roses,
Thy cap, thy kirtle, and thy posies
Soon break, soon wither, soon forgotten-
In folly ripe, in reason rotten.

Thy belt of straw and ivy buds,
Thy coral clasps and amber studs,
All these in me no means can move
To come to thee and be thy love.

But could youth last and love still breed,
Had joys no date nor age no need,
Then these delights my mind might move
To live with thee and be thy love.

W. Mayer sets stanzas 1-2, 6
G. Barker sets stanza 1
V. Fine sets stanzas 1, 3-6

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
A response to Marlowe's The passionate shepherd to his love
Note: the first stanza was published in The Passionate Pilgrim after no. 20.
¹ In The Passionate Pilgrim and Barker: "that"
² Mayer: "were gay and"
³ Mayer: "But Time drives flocks"

Text Authorship:

• by Walter Raleigh, Sir (1552? - 1618), "The nymph's reply to the shepherd" [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 George Arthur Barker (1812 - 1876), "To live with thee and be thy love", published [1845], stanza 1 [ medium voice and piano ], London : Leader & Cock [sung text not yet checked]
• by Vivian Fine (1913 - 2000), "Her reply", 1938, first performed 1975, stanzas 1,3-6 [ SSA chorus a cappella ], from The Passionate Shepherd to his Love and Her Reply, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by William Mayer (b. 1925), "The nymph's reply to the passionate shepherd", stanzas 1-2,6 [ satb chorus a cappella ], from Four Madrigals, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Ann Sheppard Mounsey (1811 - 1891), as Ann Sheppard Bartholomew, "If all the world and love were young", subtitle: "Song ", published 1865 [ voice and piano ], London : Robert W. Ollivier [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

• Also set in English, a translation ; composed by Samuel Webbe.
  • Go to the text.
    

Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

• GER German (Deutsch) (Adolf von Marées) , "Der Nymphe Entgegnung"

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2011-01-23
Line count: 24
Word count: 169

Wär' Welt und Lieben immer jung,
Und Wahrheit auf des Schäfers Zung',
Wohl regte solche Lust den Trieb,
Bei Dir zu leben, als dein Lieb!

Doch, sucht die Heerde Dach und Fach,
Wird kalt der Felsen, rast der Bach:
Dann wird auch Philomele stumm,
Ob nah'nder Sorge klagt's ringsum!

Die Blume welkt, im üpp'gen Feld
Gericht der strenge Winter hält;
Ein Honigmund, ein gallicht Herz
Ist Lenzeslust und Winterschmerz.

Dein Kleid, dein Latz, dein Rosenbettchen,
Die Schuhe, Häubchen und Bouquetchen
Vergehen bald; sie sind nur wichtig
Für Thorheit, für Vernunft doch nichtig.

Dein Gurt aus Stroh und Eibenschoß,
Dein Ambraknopf, Korallenschloß, --
Dies Alles regt nicht meinen Trieb,
Bei dir zu leben als dein Lieb!

Blieb' Jugend frisch und Liebe neu,
Zeit ohne Leid, Freud' ohne Reu':
Wohl regte solche Lust den Trieb,
Bei dir zu leben als dein Lieb!