Ye little birds that sit and sing

Ye little birds that sit and sing
Amidst the shady valleys,
And see how Phillis sweetly walks
Within her garden alleys;
Go pretty birds about her bower,
Sing pretty birds she may not lower,
Ah me, methinks I see her frown,
Ye pretty wantons warble.

Go tune your voices' harmony,
And sing I am her lover;
Strain loud and sweet, that ev'ry note,
With sweet content may move her:
And she that hath the sweetest voice,
Tell her I will not change my choice,
Yet still methinks I see her frown,
Ye pretty wantons warble.

Go tell her through your chirping bills,
As you by me are bidden,
To her is only known my love,
Which from the world is hidden:
Go pretty birds and tell her so,
See that your notes strain not too low,
For still methinks I see her frown,
Ye pretty wantons warble.

Oh fly, make haste, see, see, she falls
Into a pretty slumber,
Sing round about her rosy bed
That waking she may wonder,
Say to her, 'tis her lover true,
That sendeth love to you, to you:
And when you hear her kind reply,
Return with pleasant warblings.

by Thomas Heywood (?1574-1641)

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

by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848-1918) , "Ye little birds that sit and sing", 1888-1906, published 1907, from English Lyrics, set 7 no. 3

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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