Tudor and Stuart Love Songs — William Shakespeare

WHO IS SILVIA?

Who is Silvia?

What is she, That all our swains commend her?

Holy, fair, and wise is she: The heavens such grace did lend her, That she might admired be.

Is she kind as she is fair?

For beauty lives with kindness.

Love doth to her eyes repair To help him of his blindness, And, being helped, inhabits there.

Then to Silvia let us sing, That Silvia is excelling;

She excels each mortal thing Upon the dull earth dwelling: To her let us garlands bring.

William Shakespeare.

SIGH NO MORE, LADIES.

Sigh no more, ladies, sigh no more, Men were deceivers ever, One foot in sea and one on shore, To one thing constant never: Then sigh not so, But let them go, And be you blithe and bonny, Converting all your sounds of woe Into, Hey nonny, nonny.

Sing no more ditties, sing no moe Of dumps so dull and heavy;

The fraud of men was ever so, Since summer first was leafy.

Then sigh not so, But let them go, And be you blithe and bonny, Converting all your sounds of woe Into, Hey nonny, nonny.

William Shakespeare.

A MORNING SONG FOR IMOGEN.

Hark!

hark!

the lark at heaven's gate sings, And Phoebus 'gins arise';

His steeds to water at those springs On chalic'd flowers that lies;

And winking Mary-buds begin To ope their golden eyes: With everything that pretty is, My lady sweet arise: Arise, arise.

William Shakespeare.