Fair Sally (Hoadly, set by M. Greene) (The Lied and Art Song Texts Page: Texts and Translations to Lieder, mélodies, canzoni, and other classical vocal music)


Fair Sally lov'd a bonny Seaman;
With Tears she sent him out to roam.
Young Thomas lov'd no other Woman,
But left his Heart with her at home.
She view'd the Sea from off the Hill, 
And while she turn'd the Spinning-Wheel,
	Sung of her bonny Seaman.

The Winds blew loud, and she grew paler
To see the Weather cock turn round:
When lo! she spy'd her bonny Sailor
Come Singing o'er the fallow Ground:
With nimble Haste he leap'd the Style,
And Sally met him with a Smile, 
	And hug'd her bonny Sailor. 

Fast round the Waste he took his Sally,
But first around his Mouth wip'd He; 
Like homebred Spark he cou'd not dally,
But kiss'd, and press'd her with a Glee:
Thro' Winds, and Waves, and dashing Rain,
Cry'd He, thy Tom's return'd again, 
	And brings a Heart for Sally.

Wellcome, she cry'd, my constant Thomas,
Tho' out of Sight ne'er out of Mind; 
Our Hearts, tho' Seas have parted from us,
Yet they my Thoughts did leave behind: 
So much my Thoughts took Tommy's Part,
That Time nor Absence from my Heart 
	Cou'd drive my constant Thomas.

This Knife, the Gift of lovely Sally,
I still have kept for her Dear Sake; 
A Thousand Times in amorous Folly,
Thy Name I've carv'd upon the Deck:
Again this happy Pledge returns, 
To tell how truely Thomas burns;
	How truely burns for Sally.

This Thimble did'st Thou give to Sally;
Whilst this I see, I think of You -- 
Then why does Tom stand Shill-I Shall-I,
While yonder Steeple's in his View?
Tom, never to Occasion blind, 
Now took her in the coming Mind, 
	And went to Church with Sally.

Input by John Versmoren

Authorship

John Hoadly

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

Maurice Greene (1696-1755)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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