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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

O softly drop, mine eyes
Language: English 
Softly, O softly drop, mine eyes, lest you be dry,
and make my heart with grief to melt and die.
Now pour our tears apace,
now stay, O heavy case,
O sour-sweet woe, alas, alas,
O grief, O joy, why strive you so?
Can pains and joys at once in one poor heart consent?
Then sigh and sing, rejoice, lament.
Ay me, ay me, O passions strange and violent!
Was never poor wretch so sore tormented?
Nor joy nor grief can make my heart contented:
for while wjth joy I look on high,
down, down I fall with grief and die.

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [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 John Wilbye (1574 - 1638), "O softly drop, mine eyes", published 1609 [ vocal sextet], madrigal [
     text verified 1 time
    ]

Researcher for this page: Bart O'Brien

This text was added to the website: 2004-12-08
Line count: 13
Word count: 101

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