by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674)
When as Leander young was drown'd
Language: English
When as Leander young was drown'd No heart by Love receiv'd a wound, But on a rock himself sat by, There weeping sup'rabundantly. Sighs numberless he cast about, And, all his tapers thus put out, His head upon his hand he laid, And [sobbing]1 deeply, thus he said: "Ah, cruel [sea]2," and, looking on't, Wept as he'd drown the Hellespont. And sure his tongue had more express'd [But that]3 his tears forbade the rest.
H. Lawes sets lines 1-4, 7-12
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with The Hesperides & Noble Numbers Volume 1 by Robert Herrick, edited by Alfred Pollard, Lawrence & Bullen Limited, London, 1898.
1 Lawes: "sighing"
2 Lawes: "Fate!"
3 Lawes: "Had not"
Authorship:
- by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674), "Leander's Obsequies", appears in The Hesperides, no. 119 [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 Henry Lawes (c1595 - 1662), "Leander Drownd", published 1655, lines 1-4,7-12 [ voice and continuo ], from The Second Book of Ayres, and Dialogues, no. 13, Confirmed with The Second Book of Ayres and Dialogues, for One, Two, and Three, by Henry Lawes , John Playford, London 1655, Page 12. [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Iain Sneddon [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2021-12-30
Line count: 12
Word count: 74