by Thomas Campion (1567 - 1620)
When Laura smiles
Language: English
Our translations: SPA
When Laura smiles her sight reuiues both night and day: The earth and heauen viewes with delight her wanton play : And her speech with euer-flowing musicke doth repaire The cruell wounds of sorrow and vntam'd despaire. The sprites that remaine in fleeting aire Affect for pastime to vntwine her tressed haire, And the birds thinke sweete Aurora, mornings Queene doth shine From her bright sphere, when Laura shewes her lookes deuine. Dianas eyes are not adorn'd with greater power Then Lauras, when she lists awhile for sport to loure : But when she her eyes encloseth, blindnes doth appeare The chiefest grace of beautie, sweetelie seated there. Loue hath no fire but what he steales from her bright eyes ; Time hath no power but that which in her pleasure lyes : For she with her deuine beauties all the world subdues, And fils with heau'nly spirits my humble muse.
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 Philip Rosseter (1567?8 - 1623), "When Laura smiles", published 1601, from the collection A Booke of Ayres = A Book of Airs, no. 22. [text verified 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Javier Conte-Grand) , title 1: "Cuando Laura sonríe", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-11-16
Line count: 16
Word count: 147