by Thomas Campion (1567 - 1620)
Though your strangenesse frets my hart
Language: English
Though your strangenesse frets my hart, Yet [may not I]1 complaine : You perswade me, 'tis but Art, [That]2 secret loue must faine. If another you affect, Tis but a [shew t'auoid]3 suspect. Is this faire excusing ? O no, all is abusing. [Your wisht sight if]4 I desire, [Suspitions]5 you pretend, Causelesse you your selfe retire, [While]6 I in vaine attend. [This a Louer whets, you say]7, Still made more eager by delay. Is this faire excusing ? O, no, all is abusing. When another holds your hand, [You]8 sweare I hold your hart : [When my Riuals close doe]9 stand, And I sit farre apart, I am neerer yet then they, Hid in your bosome, as you say. Is this faire excusing ? O no, all is abusing. Would my Riual then I were, [Or els]10 your secret friend : So much lesser should I feare, And not so much attend. [Then]11 enioy you, eu'ry one, Yet I must seeme your friend alone. Is this faire excusing ? O no, all is abusing.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotes1 Jones: "must I not"
2 Jones: "Which"
3 Jones: "toy to auoide"
4 Jones: "When your wisht sight"
5 Jones: "Suspition"
6 Jones: "Whilst"
7 Jones: "Thus a louer as you say"
8 Jones: "Youle"
9 Jones: "Whilst my riuall close doth"
10 Jones: "Some else"
11 Jones: "They"
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), "Though your strangenesse frets my hart", published c1613, from Two Bookes of Ayres - The Second Booke, no. 16 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Robert Jones (flourished 1597-1615), "Though your strangenes frets my heart", published 1609 [ vocal duet for soprano and alto with lute and bass viol ], from A Musical Dreame or Fourth Booke of Ayres, no. 1, Confirmed with A Musicall Dreame, or the Fourth Book of Ayres by Robert Jones. Imprinted by John Windet, and are to be sold by Simon Waterson, in Powles, Church-yeard at the Signe of the Crowne, London 1609.
Score: IMSLP [external link]  [sung text checked 1 time]
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Iain Sneddon [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2007-11-16
Line count: 28
Word count: 180