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by Elizabeth I of England (1533 - 1603)

When I was fair and young, and favour...
Language: English 
When I was fair and young, and favour graced me,
Of many was I sought, their mistress for to be.
But I did scorn them all, and [said to]1 them therefore:
"Go, go, go, seek some otherwhere, importune me no more."

How many weeping eyes I made to pine in woe;
How many sighing hearts I have not skill to show,
But I the prouder grew, and still this spake therefore:
"Go, go, go, seek some otherwhere, importune me no more."

Then spake fair Venus' son, that proud, victorious boy,
[Saying: You dainty dame, for]2 that you be so coy,
I will so pluck your [plumes as]3 you shall say no more:
"Go, go, go, seek some otherwhere, importune me no more."

[As soon as he had said]4, such change grew in my breast
That neither night [nor day I could take]5 any rest,
[Wherefore I]6 did repent that I had said before:
"Go, go, go, seek some otherwhere, importune me no more."

Available sung texts:   ← What is this?

•   H. Gál 

H. Gál sets stanzas 1, 3-4

About the headline (FAQ)

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Gál: "answered"
2 Gál: "And said: Fine dame, since"
3 Gál: "plumes, that"
4 Gál: "When he had spake these words"
5 Gál: "or day since that I could find"
6 Gál: "Then lo! I"

Text Authorship:

  • by Elizabeth I of England (1533 - 1603), "When I was young and fair", first published 1580-9 [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 Hans Gál (1890 - 1987), "Youth and Cupid", op. 51 no. 1 (1939), published 1949, stanzas 1,3-4 [SATB chorus a cappella], from Four Madrigals, no. 1, Novello, London [ sung text verified 1 time]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-02-11
Line count: 16
Word count: 170

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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