by Thomas Campion (1567 - 1620)
What then is loue but mourning?
Language: English
What then is loue but mourning?
What desire, but a selfe-burning?
Till shee that hates doth loue returne,
Thus will I mourne, thus will I sing,
Come away, come away, my darling.
Beautie is but a blooming,
Youth in his glorie entombing ;
Time hath a while, which none can stay :
Then come away, while thus I sing,
Come away, come away, my darling.
Sommer in winter fadeth ;
Gloomie night heaun'ly light shadeth :
Like to the morne are Venus flowers ;
Such are her howers : then will I sing,
Come away, come away, my darling.
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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 John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "What then is Love?", op. 212 (1948) [ voice and piano ], from Three Melancholy Songs, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Philip Rosseter (1567?8 - 1623), "What then is loue but mourning?", published 1601, from A Booke of Ayres = A Book of Airs, no. 24 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-11-16
Line count: 15
Word count: 93