by Thomas Stanley (1625 - 1678)

When I lie burning in thine eye
Language: English 
When I lie burning in thine eye,
   Or freezing in thy breast, 
What martyrs, in wish’d flames that die,
   Are half so pleas’d or blest?

When thy soft accents through mine ear
   Into my soul do fly, 
What angel would not quit his sphere,
   To hear such harmony?

Or when the kiss thou gav’st me last
   My soul stole in its breath,
What life would sooner be embrac’d 
   Than so desir’d a death?

When I commanded am by thee,
   (Or by thine eye or hand,)
What monarch would not prouder be
   To serve than to command?

Then think [not]1 freedom I desire,
   Or would my fetters leave, 
Since, phoenix-like, I from this fire
   Both life and youth receive.

Available sung texts:   ← What is this?

•   J. Gamble 

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Gamble: "no"

Confirmed with Thomas Stanley: his original lyrics, complete, in their collated readings of 1647, 1651, 1657 by Thomas Stanley, edited by Louise Imogen Guiney, J R Tutin, Hull 1907. Page 42.


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):

  • by John Gamble (d. 1687), no title, published 1657 [ voice and bass continuo ], from Ayres and dialogues, no. 5, Confirmed with Ayres and dialogues (to be sung to the theorbo-lute or bass-viol) by John Gamble. Printed by W. Godbid for Humphry Mosley at the Princes-Arms In St. Paul's Church-yard, London 1657.
        Score: IMSLP [external link]  [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this page: Iain Sneddon [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-11-29
Line count: 20
Word count: 119