by George Etheredge, Sir (1635? - 1691)
Tell me no more you love; in vain
Language: English
Tell me no more you love; in vain, Fair Celia, you this passion feign. Can they pretend to love who do Refuse what love persuades them to? Who once [hath felt his active flame]1, Dull laws of honour will [disclaim]2; You would be thought his slave; and yet You will not to his power submit, [More cruel than those beauties are Whose coyness wounds us to despair; For all the kindness which you show, Each smile and kiss which you bestow, Are like those cordials which we give To dying men to make them live, And languish out an hour in pain. Be kinder, Celia, or disdain.]3
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with The Works of Sir George Etheredge. Plays and Poems, London, John C. Nimmo, 1888, pages 391-392.
1 Blow: "has felt his active fire"2 Blow: "disdain"
3 Blow: "Tell me no more you love; in vain,/ Fair Celia, you this passion feign."
Text Authorship:
- by George Etheredge, Sir (1635? - 1691), "Song" [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 John Blow (1649 - 1708), "Tell me no more", published 1700 [ soprano and basso continuo ], published in Amphion Anglicus [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: John Versmoren
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 107