by Thomas Campion (1567 - 1620)
Good men, shew, if you can tell
Language: English
Good men, shew, if you can tell, Where doth humane pittie dwell ? Farre and neere her would I seeke, So vext with sorrow is my brest. She, ( they say ) to all, is meeke, And onely makes th' vnhappie blest. Oh ! if such a Saint there be, Some hope yet remaines for me : Prayer or sacrifice may gaine From her implored grace reliefe ; To release mee of my paine, Or at the least to ease my griefe. Young am I, and farre from guile, The more is my woe the while : Falshood with a smooth disguise My simple meaning hath abus'd : Casting mists before mine eyes, By which my senses are confus'd. Fair he is, who vow'd to me That he onely mine would be ; But, alas, his minde is caught With eu'ry gaudie bait he sees : And too late my flame is taught That too much kindnesse makes men freese. From me all my friends are gone, While I pine for him alone ; And not one will rue my case, But rather my distresse deride : That I thinke there is no place Where pittie euer yet did bide.
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), "Good men, shew, if you can tell", published c1613, from the collection Two Bookes of Ayres - The Second Booke, no. 9. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-11-16
Line count: 30
Word count: 190