Ayrs and madrigalles :: :: University of Virginia Library

Some of the following poems are scored for music in the source text. Where poems are not stanzaic, no attempt has been made to reconstruct the metrical lines. Variations for different voices have been ignored. Repetition marks have been ignored.

TO THE HONOVRABLE protection of the Ladie Arbella.

[I
Stay Glicia stay]

Stay Glicia stay

Stay Glicia stay. And cary not my hart a way: I wil not leaue ye Iewell, to one vnkind, vnkind & cruell. But if thereto thou haue a mind, by it of mee, buy it of me by being kind.

II

[Why should my muse thus restles in her woes]

This is the Ditty of the second song.

Why should my muse thus restles in her woes,
Summon records of neuer dying feares?
And still reuiue fresh springing in my thoughts,
The true memoriall of my sad dispaires?
Who forst to loue to those faire eyes am thrall,
Where eyes nor thoughts grant one respect at all?

Endles my grieues since endles is her course,
Still to inflict more torments on my grieues,
Without remorse of poore harts scalding sighes,
When heauen in teares be wailes my no relieues.
A hard regard, where true deuoted loue
Can met it naught but still these crosses proue.

Cease worlds bright sun, from hence forth once to shine,
But in my death now suffer springs to perish,
Forbeare to grace earths glory with thy bearnes,
her richest treasure now forbid to florish;
Since that her eies the sun-shine of my life.
Affords no grace but torments death and strife.

[Mourne Marcus mourne]

Mourne, mourne, mourne, Marcus mourne

Mourne, mourne, mourne, Marcus mourne, and mourning wish to die; since she is gone on whom my hopes relyes: though Marcus faith deserued with the best, yet of hir loue an other is possest who doth forbid faire Cleopatra smyling, on his poor soule for her sweete sake still dying.

III

[Haue I vow'd and must not breake it?]

This is the ditty of the third song.

Haue I vow'd and must not breake it?
Fondly vow dis wisely broken,
Do i loue and dare not speake it?
Silence doth no loud betoken:
Thus I bind in this my breaking,
And I am in silence speaking.

Loue is bound though I seeme free,
Wrapt in deepe affections snare,
Loue I must how so ere it be,
Too late men say doth come beware.
Then vowe no more sith vowes are vaine,
Wrapt in deepe affections chayne.

[IIII
Finetta faire and feate]

Finetta , Finetta, faire and feat

Finetta , Finetta, faire and feat, star of out towne, a her bewty bright as Iet, her beauty bright as Iet, makes me sing down a down down down down griefe & I both are one, loue puls me down a

V

[Loue is not blind, but I my selfe am so]

This is the Ditty of the fift song.

Loue is not blind, but I my selfe am so,
With free consent blindfolded by desire,
That guides my will along the paths of woe,
To seeke refreshing for a needeles fire.

Loue is no boy as fooles in fancies faine,
It is my selfe that play the child so right,
I hope and feare, I weepe and laugh againe,
And vse no fence against so weake a might.

Loue hath no fire yet is mine only lust,
Doth raise the flame which makes my thoughts to fry,
Vaine hope and fond conceipts in which I trust,
Are th'only wings that beare him vp so hie.

Loue hath no bow nor shafts to shoote withall,
He hath no bands wherewith to tie vs fast,
He hath no powre, those that be free to thrall,
More than we giue nor can no longer last.

Loue is a Poets Lie, a beggars store,
A mad mans dreame, an ignorants idoll great,
In breefe this God whom we so much adore,
Of maners strange doth find as strange a seat.

VI

[Loue the delight of all well thinking minds]

This is the ditty of the sixt song.

Loue the delight of all well thinking minds,
Delight the fruit of vertue dearely lou'd,
Vertue the highest good that reason finds,
Reason the forge on which mens thoughts are proud:
Are from the world by natures power bereft,
And in one creature (for her glory) left.

Beauty hir couer is, the eyes true pleasure,
In honors fame she liues, the eares true musicke,
Excesse of wonder growes from her iust measure,
Her inward parts are passions only phisicke:
From her cleere hart the springs of vertue flow,
Which (imag'd in her words and deeds) men know.

Time faine would stay that he might neuer leaue her,
Place doth reioice that he must needs containe her,
Death craues of heauen that he may not bereaue her,
The heauens know their own and do maintaine her:
Delight, Loue, Reason, Vertue, let it be,
To hold all women light but only she.

VII

[The hart to rue the pleasure of the eye]

This is the ditty of the seventh song.

The hart to rue the pleasure of the eye,
The eie to wound the hart with his delight,
What may be said that owe them both hereby,
But both tow serue vnto his own despite:
O saue and win them both by one desert,
Please still the eye but pitty on the hart.

The eie beholds as much as much may be,
In beauty grace and honour to require,
The hart conceaues more then the eye can see,
And slaies himselfe to feed his wounds desire:
O saue and wine them both by one desart,
Please still the eie but pitty on the hart.

[VIII
Siluia, is faire, yet scorning loue vnseemly]

Siluia , Siluia is faire, yet scorning loue vnseemly

Siluia , Siluia is faire, yet scorning loue vnseemly, plaging my soule, plaging my soule with torments to vntimely, Siluia natures perfection, bids me loue her, but for loues merrit she forbids me moue her, sweet Siluia, sweet Siluia yet commandris of my thought, reward me so I may not loue for nought, sweet.

IX

[Cvrst be the time when first mine eies beheld]

This is the ditty of the ninth song.

Cvrst be the time when first mine eies beheld
Those rare perfections all mens thought admire,
And iustly may a shepherds swaine bewaile
Those fatall howres which caus'd him first desire;
Loues sweet consent that makes so deepe impression,
As hart and soule will witnesse in confession.

Why should these eies borne traitors to my rest,
Command my thoughts to yeeld to this presumption,
To loue a nimph whose beauty all surpassing,
In all mens thoughts breeds still a strange confusion;
Heauens forbid that I should dare to moue,
A face that gods solicite still in loue.

Phlllis sweet Phillis the shepheards only Queene,
Skornes to admit a swaine into her loue,
He pipes and sings and pleades to her for grace,
His sons and Sonnets her can nothing moue:
He sighes and vowes and praies with true deuotion,
But vowes and prayers worke in her no motion.

Then Coridon must yeeld to this his curse,
Sith that his loue cannot her loue importune,
For feare dispaires conuert this ill to worse,
And by disgrace adde more plagues to fortune,
Poore man sit down powre out thy plaints amaine,
Phillis thee skornes and holds in high disdaine.

[X
Faire are those eies]

Faire are those eies whose shine must giue me life

Faire are those eies whose shine must giue me life Sweet is that grace cōmands my hart to loue, heauēs her thoughts if they once yeeld cōsent to that reward affections truth doth moue. But if my faith can not his merit gaine, Weep eies, weep eies, breake hart, break, breake, break, heart and ende this restles paine, this restles paine.

[XI
Wandring in this place as in a wildernes]

Wandring in this place as in a wildernes

Wandring in this place as in a wildernes, as in a wildernes, as in a wildernes, no comfort haue I nor yet assurance, wandring in this place as in a wildernes, as in a wildernes, as in a wildernes, no comfort haue I nor yet assurance, Desolate of ioy, repleat with sadnesse wherfore I may say, O deus, deus, non est dolor, scicut dolor meus, non est dolor, sicut dolor no nest dolor, sicut dolor meus.

[XII
Everie bush new springing]

Everie bush new springing

Everie bush new springing Euery bird now singing, Merily sate poore Nico chanting tro li lo lo li lo li lo, Til her he had espide, on whō his hope relide, Down a down a down, with a frown oh she puld him down.

[XIII
Down in a valley]

Down in a valley, down in a valley

Down in a valley, down in a valley, shady vales are pleasant ports, for mery, mery, mery merie, merie lads meet resorts,

Such was our hap to catch a swain (Oh) happy the valley (Oh) happy the valley with flowrs to spangle Floraes traine, Nor did we dalley, his flowrs we tooke all dyde in graine (Oh) dyde was the valley,

Of them we made a garland green (Oh) green was the valley (Oh) green was the valley to crown faire Lelia shepheards queen, Faire as a Lilly, she, sitting in a shade vnseene (Oh) shadie the valley,

Shady vales are pleasant ports for mery, mery, mery, mery, mery lads meet resorts.

[XIIII
Wanton, wanton, come hither, wanton]

Wanton, wanton, wanton come hither

Wanton, wanton, wanton come hither, wanton, wanton, wanton wanton wanton wanton come hither, come hither, come wanton wanton, come hither. O stay why do you flie me? why do you flie me my sute though you deny me, yet let vs walke together, sweet nymph such hast, such hast such haste, why make why make you, wel could I ouertake you, But since words wil not moue thee, farewel, farewell, farwell I did but this to proue thee, With yt the nymph she staide, & deepely sighing, said sweet shepheard how I loue thee, sweet shepheard how I loue thee, sweet shepheard how I loue I loue I loue I loue thee.

[XV
Say shepherds say]

Say shepherds say, where is your iolly swain?

Say shepherds say, where is your iolly swain? Or what hath bred, or what hath bred his anguish, on idle banke he restles doth remaine, remain, (O) for loue, for loue doth make him languish, Idle lad, his wit is bad, there alone, there alone to make such mone, there alone to make such mone to the weeping fountains, whilst she plaies sweet roundelayes, vp & down, vp and down, vp and down vp & down the mountains.

[XVII
Farewell dispaire]

Farewel, farewell, dispaire sith loue hath reconcil'd

Farewel, farewell, dispaire sith loue hath reconcil'd, Those strange delaies fond modesty commanded, And banisht now those idle superstitions, Feare of offence caus'd her to be enstranged, Prescribing time this priuiledge affords, Sweet trespasses sweet trespasses loue pardons not vaine words.

[XVIII
Slie theese if so you will beleeue]

Slie theefe if so you wil beleeue

Slie theefe if so you wil beleeue, it nought or little, it nought or little did me grieue, that my true hart you had bereft, that my true hart, you had bereft, til yt vnkindly you it left til yt vnkindly you, til that vnkindly, till that vnkindly, you it left, leauing you lose losing you kil yt which I may forgo so ill, that which I may forgo so ill.

[XVIIII
What thing more cruell can you do]

What thing more cruell can you do

What thing more cruell can you do, then rob a man & kil him to? wherfore of loue, wherfore of loue I aske this meed, to bring you where you did the deed. That there you may for your amisses, be dāmadg'd in a thousand kisses, that there you may for your amisses, be dāmag'd in a thousand kisses.

[XX
In flower of April springing]

In flower of April springing

In flower of April springing, when pleasant birds to sport them among the woods a among the woods among the woods consort them, warbling with cheerful notes, warbling with cheerfull notes and sweetly singing, and sweetly singing, and sweetly singing, and sweet, & sweetly singing, for ioy that Clore the faire hir song was chaunting, the sweet loues vaunting, the sweet loues vaunting, of her and her Elpin, the sweet loues vaunting, the sweet loues vāunting, the sweet loues vaunting, vaunting.

[XXI
Zephirus brings the time]

Zephirus brings the time that sweetly senteth

Zephirus brings the time that sweetly senteth, that sweetly sents, that sweetly senteth with flowres and hearbs and winters frosts exileth, and winters frosts exileth, Zephirus brings the time that sweetly senteth, that sweetly sents yt swetly senteth, with flowres and hearbs and winters frost exileth, Progne chirpeth, now Progne chirpeth and Philomel lamenteth, and Philomell lamenteth, Flora the garlands white and red, compileth fields do reioice the frowning skie relenteth fields do reioice the frowning skie relenteth relenteth, relenteth, Ioue to behold his deerest daughter smileth, Ioue to behold his deerest daughter smileth the ayre, the water, the earth to ioy, consenteth the earth to ioy, consenteth, consenteth each creature now to loue, him reconcileth each creature now to loue, him reconcileth, each creature now to loue, him reconcileth each creature now to loue, him reconcileth, him reconcileth.

[XXII
Mvch it delighted to see Phillis smiling]

Mvch it delighted to see Phillis smiling

Mvch it delighted to see Phillis smiling, But it was her beguiling, Ah she my faith new plighted, Ah she my faith new plighted, Scorn'd with disdain reuiling, But sith thy fained lookes faithfull I prou'd not false adew, false adew, for I lou'd not false adew, false adew, false adew false adew, false adew, false adew, for I lou'd not.

[XXIII
Come gentle swains & shepherds]

Come gentle swains & shepherds dainty daughters, dainty daughters adorned

Come gentle swains & shepherds dainty daughters, dainty daughters adorned, dainty daughters adorn'd, dainty daughters adorn'd with curtesie, adorn'd with curtesie, & (with) comly duties, with curtesie & duties. Come sing & ioy & grace with louely laughters, Come sing & grace with louely laughters the birth day of ye beautist of beauties, then sang ye shepherds & nimphs of Diana, thē & nimphs and nimphs of Diana, Long liue faire Oriana,

[XXIIII
To former ioy now turnes]

To former ioy now turnes ye groue

To former ioy now turnes ye groue, now turnes the groue the fountain, the iolly fresh Aprill now lodē, now loden wt flowres, To former ioy now turnes the groue the fountain, the iolly fresh Aprill now loden with flowres, the seas are calme, hore frost fals from the mountain, shepherds & nimphs, they walke, they walke to their wanton, wanton bowres, But I all night in teares my pillow steeping soone as the sunne appeares renue my weeping.

[XXV
Faustina hath the fairer face]

Faustina hath the fairer face

Faustina hath the fairer face, and Phillida, and Phillida, & Phillida (hath) ye feater grace both haue mine eie, mine eie enriched, This sings full sweetly with her voice, her fingers make as sweet a noise, her fingers make as sweet a noise, both haue mine eare bewtiched, Ay me, Ay me sith fates haue so prouided my hart alas, my hart alas, Alas my hart must be, must be deuided, Ay me

FINIS