Tell me why (Betterton, set by H. Purcell) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


 Tell me why, my charming fair,
 Tell me why you thus deny me.
 Can despair of these sighs and looks of care
 Make Corinna ever fly me?
 O Mirtillo! you're above me;
 I respect but dare not love ye.
 She who hears, inclines to sin,
 Who parleys half gives up the town,
 And ravenous love soon enters in,
 When once the out-work's beaten down:
 Then my sighs and tears won't move ye,
 No Mirtillo, you're above me;
 I respect but dare not love ye.
 Could this lovely, charming maid
 Think Mirtillo would deceive her?
 Could Corinna be afraid
 She by him should be betray'd?
 No, too well, I love her,
 Therefore cannot be above her.
 O let love with love be paid.
 My heart, my life, my all I give her.
 Let me now receive her.
 Oh! how gladly we believe,
 When the heart is too, too willing:
 Can that look, that face deceive?
 Can he take delight in killing?
 Ah! I die if you deceive me.
 Yet I will believe ye.

Authorship

Thomas Betterton (1635?-1710)

Philip Massinger (1583-1640)

Based on

text

John Fletcher (1579-1625)

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

Henry Purcell (1658/9-1695)

Prophetess

The History of Dioclesian

Date added to the website: 2003-11-21.

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