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In an harbour grene aslepe whereas I lay

Language: English

 In an harbour1 grene aslepe whereas I lay
 The byrdes sang swete in the middes of the day:
 I dreamèd fast of mirth and play.
 In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure.

 Me thought I walkèd still to and fro,
 And from her company I could not go,
 But when I wakèd it was not so.
 In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure.

 Therefore my heart is surely pyght2
 Of her alone to have a sight
 Which is my joy and hearte's delight.
 In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure.

Modernized spelling

 In an arbour green asleep whereas I lay
 The birds sang sweet in the [middis]3 of the day:
 I dreamed fast of mirth and play;
 In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure.

 Methought I walked still to and fro,
 And from her company I could not go,
 But when I waked it was not so.
 In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure.

 Therefore my heart is surely pight 4
 Of her alone to have a sight
 Which is my joy and heart's delight.
 In youth is pleasure, in youth is pleasure.

Original version, Lusty Iuventus of youth he syngeth

 In a herber grene a sleep where as I lay, 
 The byrdes sang swete in y middes of the day,
 I dreamed fast of myrth and play,
 In youth is plesure, in youth is pleasure.

 Me thought I walked stil to and fro, 
 And from her company I could not go,
 But when I waked it was not so,
 In youth is plesure, in youth is plesure.

 Therfore my hart is surely pyght
 Of her alone to have a sight.
 Which is my joy and hartes delyght,
 In youth is plesure, in youth is pleasure. Finis.


View text without footnotes
1 presumably "arbour" (note from score)
2 old past participle of pitch := resolved, set upon. (note from score)
3 Moeran: "middes"; Warlock (in "Youth"): "middès"
4 Note from score: pight: fixed, determined.

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

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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