by Thomas Campion (1567 - 1620)
My sweetest Lesbia, let vs liue and loue
Language: English
My sweetest Lesbia, let vs liue and loue, And though the sager sort our deedes reproue, Let vs not way them : heau'ns great lampes doe diue Into their west, and straight againe reuiue, But soone as once set is our little light, Then must we sleepe one euer-during night. If all would lead their liues in loue like mee, Then bloudie swords and armour should not be, No drum nor trumpet peaceful sleepes should moue, Vnles alar'me came from the campe of loue : But fooles do liue, and wast their little light, And seeke with paine their euer-during night. When timely death my life and fortune ends, Let not my hearse be vext with mourning friends, But let all louers rich in triumph come, And with sweet pastimes grace my happie tombe; And Lesbia close vp thou my little light, And crown with loue my euer-during night.
Text Authorship:
- by Thomas Campion (1567 - 1620) [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 Campion (1567 - 1620), "My sweetest Lesbia, let vs liue and loue", published 1601, from the collection A Booke of Ayres = A Book of Airs, no. 1. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-11-16
Line count: 18
Word count: 147