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by Nicholas Breton (1542 - 1626)

I would thou wert not fair, or I were...
Language: English 
I would thou wert not fair, or I were wise, 
I would thou hadst no face, or I no eyes.
I would thou wert not wise, or I not fond, 
Or thou not free or I not so in bond.

But thou art fair and I cannot be wise.
Thy sun-like face hath blinded both mine eyes.
Thou canst not but be wise, nor I but fond, 
Not thou but free, nor I but still in bond. 

Yet am I wise to think that thou art fair,
Mine eyes their pureness in thy face repair.
Nor am I fond that do thy wisdom see,
Nor yet in bond because that thou art free. 

Then in thy beauty only make me wise, 
And in thy face, the grace, guide both mine eyes, 
And in thy wisdom only see me fond, 
And in thy freedom keep me still in bond, 

So shalt thou still be fair, and I be wise, 
Thy face shines still upon my clearèd eyes, 
Thy wisdom only see how I am fond,
Thy freedom only keep me still in bond. 

So would I thou were fair, and I were wise.
So would I thou hadst thy face, and I mine eyes.
So would I thou wert wise, and I were fond, 
And thou were free and I were still in bond. 

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with The Strange Fortune of Two Excellent Princes by Nicholas Breton, P Short for Nicholas Ling, London 1600, page 46.


Text Authorship:

  • by Nicholas Breton (1542 - 1626), "The song", P Short for Nicholas Ling, London, first published 1600 [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 Bartlet (flourished 1606-1610), "I would thou wert not faire, or I were wise", published 1606 [ vocal quartet for soprano, alto, tenor, bass with lute ], from A booke of Ayres with a Triplicitie of Musicke, no. 12, Confirmed with A booke of Ayres with a Triplicitie of Musicke by John Bartlet, Printed by John Windet, for John Browne and are to be sold at his shop in Saint Dunstan's Churchyard in Fleet Street, London 1606. [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this page: Iain Sneddon [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2024-11-21
Line count: 24
Word count: 223

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