by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674)
Hear, ye virgins, and I'll teach
Language: English
Hear, ye virgins, and I'll teach What the times of old did preach. Rosamond was in a bower Kept, as Danae in a tower: But yet Love, who subtle is, Crept to that, and came to this. Be ye lock'd up like to these, Or the rich Hesperides, Or those babies in your eyes, In their crystal nunneries; Notwithstanding Love will win, Or else force a passage in: And as coy be as you can, Gifts will get ye, or the man.
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Text Authorship:
- by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674), "To Virgins" [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 Fritz Bennicke Hart (1874 - 1949), "Hear, ye virgins", op. 90 (Nine Sets of Four Songs Each, Set IX) no. 4 (1930) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2022-01-19
Line count: 14
Word count: 82