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by William Jones, Sir (1746 - 1794)

The damsels of Cardigan
Language: English 
Fair Tivy how sweet are thy waves gently flowing,
The wild open woods and green eglantine bow'rs,
Thy banks with the blush rose and amaranth glowing,
While friendship and mirth claim these labourless hours.

Refrain:
 Yet weak is our vaunt, while something we want,
 More sweet than the pleasures which prospects can give:
 Come, smile, sweet damsels of Cardigan!
 Love can alone make it blissful to live.

How sweet is the odour of jasmine and roses,
That Zephyr around us so lavishly flings!
Perhaps for Bleanpant fresh perfume he composes,
Or tidings from Bronwith auspiciously brings.

Refrain:
 Yet weak is our vaunt, while something we want,
 More sweet than the pleasures which odours can give:
 Come, smile, sweet damsels of Cardigan!
 Love can alone make it blissful to live.

No longer then pore over dark Gotich pages,
To cull a rude gibberish from Neatheam or Brooke;
Leave your books and your parchments to grey-bearded sages,
Be nature and love, and fair woman, our book!

Refrain:
 Yet weak is our vaunt, while something we want,
 More sweet than the pleasures that learning can give:
 Come, smile, sweet damsels of Cardigan!
 Love can alone make it blissful to live.

Text Authorship:

  • by William Jones, Sir (1746 - 1794) [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 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827), "The damsels of Cardigan", WoO. 155 (26 Walisische Lieder) no. 16 (1809-10) [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • GER German (Deutsch) (Georg Pertz) , "Das Mädchen von Cardigan"


Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2006-01-11
Line count: 27
Word count: 197

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