There is a Lady sweet and kind, Was never face so pleased my mind; I did but see her passing by, And yet [I]1 love her till I die. Her gesture, motion and her [smiles]2, Her wit, her voice, my heart [beguiles]3; [Beguiles]3 my heart, I know not why, And yet [I]1 love her till I die. Her free behavior, winning looks, Will make a Lawyer burn his books; I touched her not, alas! not I, And yet [I]1 love her till I die. Had I her fast betwixt mine arms, Judge you that think such sports were harms; Were't any harm? No, no, fie, fie! For I will love her till I die. Should I remain confinèd there So long as Phœbus in his sphere, I to request, she to deny, Yet would I love her till I die. [Cupid is winged and doth range Her country so my love doth change; But change she earth or change she sky, Yet will I love her till I die.]4
G. Baxter sets stanzas 1-3, 6
C. Parry sets stanzas 1-2, 6
P. Warlock sets stanzas 1-2, 4-6 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
E. Purcell sets stanzas 1-2, 6
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Baxter: "I'll"
2 Parry, Purcell: "smile"
3 Parry, Purcell: "beguile"
4 Baxter:
Cupid has wings and he does range; So if her land my love does change, But change she earth or change she sky, And yet I'll love her till I die.
Text Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, found on back of leaf 53 of Popish Kingdome or Reigne of Antichrist; published in 1607 in Thomas Ford's Music of Sundry Kinds [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 Garth Baxter (b. 1946), "There is a lady sweet and kind", stanzas 1-3,6 [ voice and guitar or SATB chorus ], from Three madrigals, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Winifred May Bury (1897 - 1977), "There Is A Ladye", 1932 [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Henry) Walford Davies, Sir (1869 - 1941), "There is a Lady sweet and kind", published 1915 [ baritone or medium voice and piano ], from Four Songs, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Norman Dello Joio (1913 - 2008), "There is a lady sweet and kind" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Thomas Ford (d. 1648), "There is a Ladie sweet and kind", published 1607, from Musicke of Sundrie Kindes [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ivor (Bertie) Gurney (1890 - 1937), "Passing by", 1907 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Jeffreys (1927 - 2010), "Passing By" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Jeffreys (1927 - 2010), "There is a lady sweet and kind " [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Leonard J[ordan] Lehrman (b. 1949), "There is a lady sweet and kind", op. 50a (1977) [ soprano or tenor and SATB chorus a cappella (or with oboe, English horn, clarinet, violin, and viola) ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Elizabeth Maconchy (1907 - 1994), "There is a lady sweet and kind", 1924-5 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, Sir (1848 - 1918), "And yet I love her till I die", 1903, published 1903, stanzas 1-2,6, from English Lyrics, Sixth Set, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Edward Purcell (d. 1932), "Passing by", 1875, stanzas 1-2,6 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "Passing By", op. 174 (1948) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "There is a Lady", op. 493 (1957) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edmund Duncan Rubbra (1901 - 1986), "There is a lady", op. 8 (Four Songs) no. 2 (1923) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Peter Warlock (1894 - 1930), "Passing by", alternate title: "There is a lady sweet and kind", 1919, published 1920, stanzas 1-2,4-6 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Peter Warlock (1894 - 1930), "Passing by", 1928, published 1929 [ voice and piano ], fourth setting [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Linda Godry) , "War eine Dame so liebenswert und freundlich", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Richard Flatter) , "Das Fräulein", appears in Die Fähre, Englische Lyrik aus fünf Jahrhunderten, first published 1936
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 177
Da ist ein Fräulein, süß und mild; Sah nie so schön und rein ein Bild. ´s war kaum ein Blick, was sie mir gab – Und doch, ich lieb sie bis in´s Grab! Ihr Geist, ihr Lächeln, Stimme, Gang – Ich weiß nicht, was mein Herz bezwang; Ich weiß nicht, was ich an ihr hab – Und doch, ich lieb sie bis in´s Grab! [... ... ... ...] [... ... ... ...] [... ... ... ...] Mag auch die Liebe, leichtbeschwingt, Entfliehn, wohin kein Strahl mehr dringt, Fiel´ selbst die Sonn´ in´s Meer hinab – Ich lieb sie dennoch bis in´s Grab!
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
Confirmed with Die Fähre, Englische Lyrik aus fünf Jahrhunderten Übersetzt von Richard Flatter, Walter Krieg Verlag, Wien-Bad Bocklet-Zürich, 1954, 2nd edition (1st edition 1936), page 69. Only stanzas 1, 2, and 6 were translated but we have added space to let the translations line up.
Text Authorship:
- by Richard Flatter (1891 - 1960), "Das Fräulein", appears in Die Fähre, Englische Lyrik aus fünf Jahrhunderten, first published 1936 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , found on back of leaf 53 of Popish Kingdome or Reigne of Antichrist; published in 1607 in Thomas Ford's Music of Sundry Kinds
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this page: Volkmar Henschel
This text was added to the website: 2021-02-24
Line count: 24
Word count: 90