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by Thomas Campion (1567 - 1620)

Vaine men, whose follies make a God of Loue
Language: English 
Vaine men, whose follies make a God of Loue,
Whose blindnesse beauty doth immortall deeme ;
Prayse not what you desire, but what you proue,
Count those things good that are, no those that seeme :
I cannot call her true that's false to me,
Nor make of women more then women be.

How faire an entrance breakes the way to loue !
How rich of golden hope and gay delight !
What hart cannot a modest beauty moue ?
Who, seeing cleare day once, will dreame of night ?
Shee seem'd a Saint, that brake her faith with mee,
But prou'd a woman as all other be.

So bitter is their sweet, that true content
Vnhappy men in them may neuer finde :
Ah, but without them none ;  both must consent,
Else vncouth are the ioyes of eyther kinde.
Let vs then prayse their good, forget their ill :
Men must be men, and women women still.

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), "Vaine men, whose follies make a God of Loue", published c1613, from the collection Two Bookes of Ayres - The Second Booke, 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: 150

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