To ask for all thy love (Donne, set by J. Dowland) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


To ask for all thy love, and thy whole heart
'twere madness,
I do not sue,
nor can admit
fairest from you
to have all, yet
who gieth all hath nothing to impart,
but sadness

He that receiveth all, can have no more
than seeing.
My love by length
of every hour,
gathers new strength,
new growth, new flow'r.
You must have daily new rewards in store,
still being.

You cannot every day give me your heart
for merit:
Yet if you will,
when yours doth go,
you shall have still
one to bestow:
For you shall mine when yours doth hence depart
inherit.

Yet if you please, I'll find a better way.
Than change them: 
For so alone
Dearest we shall
be one and one,
another's all.
Let us so join our hearts that nothing may
estrange them.

Input by Peter Donderwinkel

Authorship

John Donne (1572-1631)

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

John Dowland (1562-1626)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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