by Michael Drayton (1563 - 1631)
Since there's no help, come let us kiss...
Language: English
Since there's no help, come let us kiss and part;
Nay, I have done, you get no more of me,
And I am glad, yea glad with all my heart
That thus so cleanly I can free;
Shake hands forever, cancel all our vows,
And when we meet at any time again,
Be it not seen in either of our brows
That we one jot of former love retain.
Now at the last gasp of Love's latest breath,
When, his pulse failing, Passion speechless lies,
When Faith is kneeling by his bed of death,
And Innocence is closing up his eyes,
Now if thou wouldst, when all have given him over,
From death to life thou mightst him yet recover.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Michael Drayton (1563 - 1631), title 1: "Love's Farewell", title 2: "The Parting", written 1619 [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 Kirke Mechem (b. 1925), "Since there's no help", op. 33 no. 1, published 1979 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Goodbye, Farewell, and Adieu: Three Songs of Parting, no. 1, G.Schirmer (Hal Leonard) [sung text not yet checked]
- by M. Ryan Taylor (b. 1972), "Come let us Kiss and Part", 199-? [ medium voice and piano ], from Two Early Songs, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Denise Tolkowsky (1918 - 1991), "The Parting", op. 36 no. 1 (1951/1952), published 1952 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Three songs of parting, no. 1, Antwerp [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Richard Flatter) , "Abschied", appears in Die Fähre, Englische Lyrik aus fünf Jahrhunderten, first published 1936
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-07-29
Line count: 14
Word count: 120