White as lilies was her face

White as lilies was her face,
When she smiled she beguiled,
Quitting faith with foul disgrace,
Virtue, service thus neglected,
Heart with sorrow hath infected.

When I swore my heart my own,
She disdained, I complained;
Yet she left me overthrown,
Careless of my bitter grieving,
Ruthless bent to no relieving.

For my heart, though set at naught,
Since you will it, spoil and kill it!
I will never change my thoughts,
But grieve that Beauty e'er was born,
And so I'll live as one forlorn.

by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by John Dowland (1562-1626) , "White as lilies was her face"

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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