by Allan Ramsay (1686 - 1758)
Bonny Jean
Language: English
Love's goddess, in a myrtle grove, Said, "Cupid, bend thy bow with speed, "Nor let thy shafts at random rove, "For Jeany's haughty heart must bleed." The smiling boy with divine art, From Paphos shot an arrow keen, Which flew, unerring, to the heart, And kill'd the pride of bonny Jean. No more the nymph, with haughty air, Refuses Willy's kind address; Her yielding blushes shew no care, But too much fondness to suppress. No more the youth is sullen now, But looks the gayest on the green, Whilst ev'ry day he spies some new Surprising charms in bonny Jean. The day he spends in am'rous gaze, Which ev'n in summer shorten'd seems; When sunk in downs, with glad amaze, He wonders at her in his dreams. All charms disclos'd, she looks more bright Than Troy's fair prize, the Spartan queen, With breaking day he lifts his sight, And pants to be with bonny Jean.
Authorship:
- by Allan Ramsay (1686 - 1758) [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 (Franz) Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809), "Bonny Jean", JHW XXXII/3 no. 180, Hob. XXXIa no. 172. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2010-01-10
Line count: 24
Word count: 155