Thy vain pursuit, fond youth, give o'er (Elizabeth Turner)

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• (Posted 2023-10-04)  CPDL #76022: 

Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2023-10-04).   Score information: A4, 2 pages, 367 kB   Copyright: CC BY SA

Edition notes: Please click on the link for preview/playback/PDF download.

General Information

Title: Thy vain pursuit, fond youth, give o'er
Composer: Elizabeth Turner
Lyricist: Anonymous
Number of voices: 1v   Voicing: solo high
Genre: Secular, Aria

Language: English
Instruments: Basso continuo, violin

First published: c.1750 (n/d)
Description: Elizabeth Turner also set, as a riposte to this song, Thy vain advice, coy nymph, give o'er .

Original text and translations

English text

Thy vain pursuit, fond youth, give o'er;
What more, alas! can Flavia do?
Thy truth I own, thy fate deplore;
All are not happy that are true.

Suppress those sighs and weep no more.
Should heav'n and earth with thee combine,
'Twere all in vain, since any pow'r
To crown thy love must alter mine.

But if revenge can ease thy pain,
I'll soothe the ills I cannot cure;
Till then I drag a hopeless chain
And, all that I inflict, endure.