by Robert Herrick (1591 - 1674)

To Dianeme
Language: English 
Dear, though to part it be a hell,
Yet, Dianeme, now farewell :
Thy frown last night did bid me go,
But whither only grief does know.
I do beseech thee ere we part,
If merciful as fair thou art
Or else desir'st that maids should tell
Thy pity by love's chronicle,
O Dianeme, rather kill
Me, than to make me languish still!
Tis cruelty in thee to th' height
Thus, thus to wound, not kill outright ;
Yet there's a way found, if you please,
By sudden death to give me ease ;
And thus devis'd, do thou but this—
Bequeath to me one parting kiss,
So sup'rabundant joy shall be
The executioner of me.

Confirmed with Works of Robert Herrick, Vol I, ed. by Alfred Pollard, London, Lawrence & Bullen, 1891, page 39.


Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

    [ None yet in the database ]

  • by Fritz Bennicke Hart (1874 - 1949), "To Dianeme", op. 54 (Twenty-Five Songs in Five Sets of Five Each: Set V) no. 4 (1922) [ voice and piano ], note: this may be the wrong poem - Herrick wrote several with this title [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Fritz Bennicke Hart (1874 - 1949), "To Dianeme", op. 87 (Nine Sets of Four Songs Each, Set VI) no. 1 (1930) [ voice and piano ], note: this may be the wrong poem - Herrick wrote several with this title [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2022-01-19
Line count: 18
Word count: 113