by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Now in the sad declension of thy time
Language: English
Now in the sad declension of thy time, When all the world forsakes and lays thee by, I but unveil my love, masked in the prime Of thy transcendent glories. For mine eye, Judge thee not woman but a deity; And till those roses blushing on thy cheek, Those lilies and those violets were seen To wither thus, till all those sweets we seek In ruin lay, I could ne'er begin To court thee without hazard of a sin. Freed from all rival doubts and jealous fears, By time's rude hand, those relics I adore; My flames increase, although thy beauty wears; And in this temp'rate season love thee more, Than in that scorching heat that went before.
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 Lawes (1602 - 1645), "Now in the sad declension of thy time", from the collection Songs from the Autograph Songbook, no. 1. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2013-06-24
Line count: 15
Word count: 118