by Philip Sidney, Sir (1554 - 1586)
The nightingale, as soon as April...
Language: English
The nightingale, [as]1 soon as April bringeth Unto her rested sense a perfect waking, While late-bare earth, proud of new clothing, springeth, Sings out her woes, a thorn her song-book making, And mournfully bewailing, Her throat in tunes expresseth What grief her breast oppresseth, For Tereus' force on her chaste will prevailing. O Philomela fair, O take some gladness, That here is juster cause of plaintful sadness! Thine earth now springs, mine fadeth ; Thy thorn without, my thorn my heart invadeth. Alas! she hath no other cause of anguish But Tereus' love, on her by strong hand wroken, Wherein she suffering, all her spirits languish ; Full womanlike complains her will was broken. But I, who daily craving, Cannot have to content me, Have more cause to lament me, Since wanting is more woe than too much having. O Philomela fair, O take some gladness, That here is juster cause of plaintful sadness : Thine earth now springs, mine fadeth ; Thy thorn without, my thorn my heart invadeth.
T. Bateson sets stanza 1
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Bateson: "so"
Authorship:
- by Philip Sidney, Sir (1554 - 1586), "The nightingale" [author's text checked 1 time 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 Bateson (c1570 - c1630), "The nightingale, so soon as April bringeth", published 1604, stanza 1 [ chorus ], from First Set of English Madrigals [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Rebecca Clarke (1886 - 1979), "Philomela", 1914? [ SATB chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edward Toner Cone (b. 1917), "The nightingale", 1954 [ soprano, flute, viola, and piano ], from Philomela -- Three Nightingale Songs, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Cecil Armstrong Gibbs (1889 - 1960), "The nightingale", alternate title: "Philomela", op. 13, published 1937, first performed 1918 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-01-11
Line count: 24
Word count: 170