Diana and her darlings deare...

Diana and her darlings dear
Walked once, as you shall hear,
Through woods and waters clear themselves to play.
The leaves were gay and green,
And pleasant to be seen,
They went the trees between in cool array.
So long that at the last they found a place
Of waters full clear:
So pure and fair a bath ne'er was found many a year.
There she went fair and gent
Her to sport as was her wonted sort,
In such desirous sort.
Thus goeth the report:
Diana dainteously began herself therein to bathe,
And her body for to lave, 
So curious and brave. 
As they in water stood, 
Bathing in their lively blood : 
Actaeon in the wood, 
chanc'd to come by: 
And view'd their bodies bare, 
Marveling what they were, 
And stil devoid of care, 
on them cast his eye : 
But when the Nymphs had perceived him, 
aloud then they cried, 
Enclosed her, and thought to hide her skin, 
which he had spied : 
But too true I tell you, 
She seen was, for in height she did pass
each dame of her race.
Hark then Actaeon's case
When Diana did perceivee where Acteon did stand
she took her bow in her hand, 
and to shoot she began. 
As she began to shoot,
Actaeon ran about, 
To hide he thought no boot,
his sights were dim: 
And as he thought to 'scape, 
Changed was Actaeon's shape, 
Such was unlucky fate, 
yielded to him : 
For Diana brought it thus to pass,
and play'd her part, 
So that poor Actaeon changed was 
to a hugie Hart, 
And did bear, naught but hair: 
In this change, which is as true as strange,
and thus did he range, 
abroad in total change;
By his very hunting dogs Actaeon was betorn:
deer and man, he died forlorn,
thus for him we all may mourn.

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 Alexander Voormolen (1895-1946) , "Diana and her darlings deare...", published 1948 [bass and piano], from 3 songs on British verse, no. 1.

Date added to the website: 2008-11-25.

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