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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Alas, what a wretched life
Language: English 
Alas, what a wretched life is this,
Nay what a death,
Where the tyrant, Love, commandeth.

My flowring days are in their prime declining,
All my proud hope, quite fallen, and life untwining:
My joys each after other in haste are flying
And leave me dying for her that scorns my crying.
O she from hence departs, my Love refraining,
For whom, all heartless, alas, I die complaining.

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), "Alas, what a wretched life", published 1598 [ vocal quintet], madrigal [
     text verified 1 time
    ]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2004-12-08
Line count: 9
Word count: 68

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