by Nahum Tate (1652 - 1715)
Retir'd from any mortal's sight
Language: English
Available translation(s): FRE
Retir'd from any Mortal's sight the pensive Damon lay, He blest the discontented Night And Curst the Smiling Day. The tender sharers of his Pain, His Flocks no longer Graze, But sadly fixt around the Swain, Like silent Mourners gaze. He heard the Musick of the Wood, And with a sigh Reply'd, He saw the Fish sport in the Flood, And wept a deeper Tyde. In vain the Summers Bloom came on, For still the Drooping Swain, Like Autumn Winds was heard to Groan, Out-wept the Winters Rain. Some Ease (said he) some Respite give! Why, might Pow'rs, Ah why Am I too much distrest to Live, And yet forbid to Dye? Such Accents from the Shepherd flew Whilst on the Ground He lay; At last so deep a Sigh he drew, As bore his Life away.
Authorship:
- by Nahum Tate (1652 - 1715) [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 Henry Purcell (1658/9 - 1695), "Retir'd from any mortal's sight", Z. 581 no. 1, from stage composition The History of King Richard the Second, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Loin de la vue de tout mortel", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Virginia Knight
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 137