by R. Wever, probably Richard Wever (c1500? - 1560?)
In an harbour grene aslepe whereas I lay
Language: English
In an harbour1 grene aslepe whereas I lay The byrdes sang swete in the middes of the day: I dreamèd fast of mirth and play. In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure. Me thought I walkèd still to and fro, And from her company I could not go, But when I wakèd it was not so. In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure. Therefore my heart is surely pyght2 Of her alone to have a sight Which is my joy and hearte's delight. In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure. Modernized spelling In an arbour green asleep whereas I lay The birds sang sweet in the [middis]3 of the day: I dreamed fast of mirth and play; In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure. Methought I walked still to and fro, And from her company I could not go, But when I waked it was not so. In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure. Therefore my heart is surely pight 4 Of her alone to have a sight Which is my joy and heart's delight. In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure. Original version, Lusty Iuventus of youth he syngeth In a herber grene a sleep where as I lay, The byrdes sang swete in y middes of the day, I dreamed fast of myrth and play, In youth is plesure, in youth is pleasure. Me thought I walked stil to and fro, And from her company I could not go, But when I waked it was not so, In youth is plesure, in youth is plesure. Therfore my hart is surely pyght Of her alone to have a sight. Which is my joy and hartes delyght, In youth is plesure, in youth is pleasure. Finis.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 presumably "arbour" (note from score)
2 old past participle of pitch := resolved, set upon. (note from score)
3 Moeran: "middes"; Warlock (in "Youth"): "middès"
4 Note from score: pight: fixed, determined.
Authorship
- by R. Wever, probably Richard Wever (c1500? - 1560?), appears in An Enterlude called Lusty Juventus, first published 1565 [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 Cecil Armstrong Gibbs (1889 - 1960), "In youth is pleasure", op. 44 (Two Elizabethan Songs) no. 2, published 1922 [voice and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
- by John Jeffreys (1927 - 2010), "In youth is pleasure" [voice and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
- by Ernest John Moeran (1894 - 1950), "In youth is pleasure", R. 41 (1925), published 1925 [voice and piano] [ sung text checked 1 time]
- by (Gerald) Graham Peel (1878 - 1937), "In youth is pleasure", published 1905, from Camella. A Song Cycle in miniature. Eight Elizabethan Lyrics, London : Boosey & Co. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
- by Peter Warlock (1894 - 1930), "Lusty Juventus", 1922-3, published 1924, from Peterisms: second set, no. 3 [ sung text checked 1 time]
- by Peter Warlock (1894 - 1930), "In an arbour green", alternate title: "Youth", note: modernized spelling [ sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, [adaptation] ; composed by Gustav Holst.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 38
Word count: 292