by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
What is beauty but a breath
Language: English
Available translation(s): GER
What is beauty but a breath? Fancies twin at birth & death, The colour of a damask rose, That fadeth when the northwind blowes: 'tis such that though all sorts do crave it, they know not what it is to have it: a thing that some time stoops not to a king and yet most open to the commonst thing: For she that is most fair, Is open to the aire.
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 Thomas Greaves (fl. 1604), "What is beauty but a breath", published 1604, from Songs of sundrie kindes [text verified 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Linda Godry) , title 1: "Ist Schönheit nicht wie des Atems Hauch?", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Linda Godry
This text was added to the website: 2007-08-14
Line count: 10
Word count: 71