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Come, Sleep, and with thy sweet deceiving Lock me in delight awhile; Let some pleasing [dreams]1 beguile All my fancies; that from thence [I may feel]2 an influence All my powers of care bereaving. Though but a shadow, but a sliding, Let me know some little joy! We that suffer long annoy Are contented with a thought Through an idle fancy wrought: O let my joys have some abiding!
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Gurney: "dream"
2 Warlock: "There may steal"
Authorship
- by John Fletcher (1579 - 1625), "Sleep", appears in The Woman Hater, first published 1607 [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 Rebecca Clarke (1886 - 1979), "Sleep", 1926. [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
- by Peggy Glanville-Hicks (1912 - 1990), "Come sleep", published 1938. [voice and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
- by Ivor (Bertie) Gurney (1890 - 1937), "Sleep", from Five Elizabethan Songs (The Elizas), no. 4. [ sung text checked 1 time]
- by John Jeffreys (1927 - 2010), "Sleep" [voice and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
- by Humphrey Procter-Gregg (1895 - 1980), "Sleep" [voice and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
- by Peter Warlock (1894 - 1930), "Sleep", 1922, published 1923. [ sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Sommeil", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Julia Hamann) , "Schlaf", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (José Miguel Llata) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 69
Viens, Sommeil, et par ta douce tromperie Enferme-moi dans un instant de plaisir : Laisse quelques agréables rêves bercer Toutes mes illusions ; que de là Je puisse sentir une influence Privant de souci toutes mes facultés. Bien que tu ne sois qu'une ombre, qu'un glissement, Fais-moi connaître un peu de joie ! Nous qui souffrons d'un long ennui Sommes satisfaits par une pensée Poussée par une illusion vaine : Oh, laisse mes joies durer un peu !
Authorship
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2011 by Guy Laffaille, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact:
- a text in English by John Fletcher (1579 - 1625), "Sleep", appears in The Woman Hater, first published 1607
This text was added to the website: 2011-06-26
Line count: 12
Word count: 78