by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Wounded I am, and dare not seek relief
Language: English
Wounded I am, and dare not seek relief, For this new stroke, unseen but not unfelt; No blood nor bruise is witness to my grief. But sighs, but sighs and tears, wherewith I mourn and melt. If I complain my witness is suspect. If I contain with cares I am undone, sit still and die, tell truth and be reject, tell truth and be reject, O hateful choice that sorrow cannot shun, Yet of us twain whose loss shall be the less? Mine of my life, or you of your good name, light is my death regarding my distress, but your offence cries to your defame: A virgin fair hath slain for lack of grace, the man that made an Idol of her face.
W. Byrd sets stanza 1 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
W. Byrd sets stanza 2 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [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 William Byrd (1542?3? - 1623), "Wounded I am", published 1589, stanza 1 [SATB chorus a cappella], from the collection Songs of sundrie natures, no. 17. [text verified 1 time]
- by William Byrd (1542?3? - 1623), "Yet of us twain", published 1589, stanza 2 [SATB chorus a cappella], from the collection Songs of sundrie natures, no. 18. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-08-09
Line count: 16
Word count: 124