Fair as unshaded light (D'Avenant, set by E. Rubbra) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


 Fair as unshaded light, or as the day
 In its first birth, when all the year was May;
 Sweet as the altar's smoke, or as the new
 Unfolded bud, swelled by the early dew;
 Smooth as the face of waters first appeared,
 Ere rides began to strive or winds were heard;
 Kind as the willing saints, and calmer far
 Than in their sleeps forgiven hermits are:
 You, that are more than our discreeter fear
 Dares praise, with such full art what makes you here?
 Here, where the summer is so little seen,
 That leaves (her cheapest wealth) scarce reach at green;
 You come, as if the silver planet were
 Misled awhile from her much injured sphere,
 And t'ease the travails of her beams tonight,
 In this small lantern would contract her light.

Input by Ahmed E. Ismail

Authorship

Sir William D'Avenant (1606-1668)

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

Edmund Duncan Rubbra (1901-1986)

Ode to the Queen

Date added to the website: 2004-08-04.

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