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by Thomas Southerne (1660 - 1746)

Celemene
Language: English 
Celemene, pray tell me Celemene,
When those pretty eyes I see; 
When my heart beats in my breast,
Why it will not let me rest?
Why this trembling too all o'er, 
Pains I never felt before.
And when thus I touch your hand,
Why I wish I was a man?
How should I know more than you?
Yet would be a woman too, 
When you wash yourself and play,
I methinks could look all day.
Nay just now I'm pleas'd so well, 
Should you kiss me I won't tell.

Tho' I could do that all day,
And desire no better play;
Sure in love there's something more,
Which makes Mamma so big before.
Once by chance I heard it named;
Don't ask what, for I'm ashamed.
Stay but till you're past fifteen,
Then you'll know what 'tis I mean.
However lose not present bliss;
But now we're alone let's kiss.
My breasts do so heave.
My heart does so pant.
There's something more we want.

Text Authorship:

  • by Thomas Southerne (1660 - 1746) [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 (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Celemene", 1946, published 1994 [ duet and piano ], a realization of the Purcell song. Confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Henry Purcell (1658/9 - 1695), "Celemene", Z. 584 (1695) [ duet and orchestra ], from the incidental music to Oroonoko, no. 3, confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this page: Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2024-05-29
Line count: 27
Word count: 165

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