Beauty Bathing | Beautie sate bathing by a spring

Beautie sate bathing by a spring

Language: English

Our translations: GER

Beautie sate bathing by a spring,
Where fairest shades did hide her,
The windes blewe calme, the Birds did sing,
The coole streames ranne beside her.
My wanton thoughts intis't mine eye
To see what was forbidden,
But better memorie said fie,
So vaine desire was chidden.
 
Into a slumber then I fell,
But fond imagination
Seem'd to see, but could not tell,
Her feature or her fashion.
But euen as babes in dreames doe smile,
And sometime fall a weeping :
So I awakt as wise the while,
As when I fell asleeping.

About the headline (FAQ)

Modernized form of the text:

Beauty sat bathing by a spring,	 
  Where fairest shades did hide her;
The winds blew calm, the birds did sing,
  The cool streams ran beside her.
My wanton thoughts enticed mine eye
  To see what was forbidden:
But better memory said Fie;
  So vain desire was chidden -
          Hey nonny nonny O!
          Hey nonny nonny!
 
Into a slumber then I fell,
  And fond imagination
Seemed to see, but could not tell,
  Her feature or her fashion:
But ev'n as babes in dreams do smile,
  And sometimes fall a-weeping,
So I awaked as wise that while
  As when I fell a-sleeping. 
          Hey nonny nonny O!
          Hey nonny nonny!

Text Authorship:

by Anthony Munday (1553 - 1633), "Beauty Bathing" [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 William Corkine (flourished 1610-2), "Beautie sate bathing by a spring", published 1610 [ voice, lute, bass viol ], from Airs to sing and play to the Lute and Bass-viol, no. 9 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Robert Jones (flourished 1597-1615), "Beauty sat bathing by a spring", published 1605, from Ultimum Vale, or the Third Booke of Ayres [sung text not yet checked]
by Robert Still (1910 - 1971), "Beauty Bathing" [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Bertram Kottmann

This text was added to the website: 2004-05-02
Line count: 16
Word count: 93