by John Hoskins, Serjeant (1566 - 1638)
Absence, hear my protestation
Language: English
Absence, hear my protestation Against thy strength Distance and length, Do what thou canst for alteration: For hearts of truest metal Absence doth join, and Time doth settle. Who loves a mistress of right quality, His mind hath found Affection's ground Beyond time, place, and all mortality: To hearts that cannot vary Absence is present, Time doth tarry. My senses want their outward motion Which now within Reason doth win, Redoubled by her secret notion; Like rich men that take pleasure In hiding more than handling treasure. By absence this good means I gain, That I can catch her (Where none can watch her) In some close corner of my brain: There I embrace and kiss her, And so enjoy her, and none miss her.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by John Hoskins, Serjeant (1566 - 1638), "Absence" [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 Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, Sir (1848 - 1918), "Absence, hear my protestation", 1881 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2022-01-29
Line count: 24
Word count: 125