In praise of his Daphnis
Language: English
Tune on my pipe the praise of my love, Love fair and bright; Fill earth with sound, and airy heav'ns above, Heav'ns love's delight, With Daphnis' praise. To pleasant Tempe groves and plains about, Plains shepherd's pride, Resounding echoes of her praise ring out, Ring far and wide My Daphnis' praise. When I begin to sing, begin to sound, Sounds loud and shrill, Do make each note unto the skies rebound, Skies calm and still With Daphnis' praise. Her eyes like shining lamps in midst of night, Night dark and dead, Or as the stars that give the seamen light, Light for to lead Their wand'ring ships. Her lips like scarlet of the finest dye, Scarlet blood-red; Teeth white as snow which on the hills doth lie, Hills over spread By winter's force. Her skin as sof as is the finest silk, Silk soft and fine, Of colour like unto the whitest milk, Milk of the kine Of Daphnis' herd. As swift of foot as is the pretty roe, Roe swift of pace, When yelping hounds pursue her to and fro, Hounds fierce in chase To reave her. Cease tongue to tell of any more compares, Compares too rude, Daphnis' deserts and beauty are too rare; Then here conclude Fair Daphnis' praise.
Text Authorship:
- by J. Wotton England, Sir , appears in Helicon, first published 1600 [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 Arthur Edward Drummond Bliss, Sir (1891 - 1975), "In praise of his Daphnis", from Two love songs, no. 2. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 40
Word count: 212