“Poor or rich” (Francesco Berger)

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• (Posted 2023-09-22)  CPDL #75610:     

Editor: David Anderson (submitted 2023-09-22).   Score information: Letter, 12 pages, 718 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: “Poor or rich”
Composer: Francesco Berger
Lyricist: Thomas Dekker
Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1906 Novello and Co.
Description: 

Original text and translations

English text

Sweet Content (1628)

ART thou poor, yet hast thou golden slumbers?
        O sweet content!
Art thou rich, yet is thy mind perplex’d?
        O punishment!
Dost thou laugh to see how fools are vex’d
To add to golden numbers golden numbers?
    O sweet content! O sweet, O sweet content!
Work apace, apace, apace, apace;
Honest labour bears a lovely face;
Then hey nonny nonny—hey nonny nonny!
Canst drink the waters of the crispèd spring?
        O sweet content!
Swim’st thou in wealth, yet sink’st in thine own tears?
        O punishment!
Then he that patiently want’s burden bears,
No burden bears, but is a king, a king!
    O sweet content! O sweet, O sweet content!
Work apace, apace, apace, apace;
Honest labour bears a lovely face;
Then hey nonny nonny—hey nonny nonny!