As thy shadow itself apply'th (Thomas Whythorne)

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• (Posted 2021-02-10)  CPDL #62803:     

Editor: Robin Doveton (submitted 2021-02-10).   Score information: A4, 4 pages, 92 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes: Includes a keyboard reduction.

General Information

Title: As thy shadow itself apply'th
Composer: Thomas Whythorne
Lyricist: Thomas Whythorne

Number of voices: 5vv   Voicing: SATTB
Genre: Secular, Consort song

Language: English
Instruments: Unknown

First published: 1571
Description: This is the song upon which E.J.Moeran based his orchestral piece, evocatively titled 'Whythorne's Shadow'. The lower 4 voices, although originally underlaid with text, might also be rendered instrumentally.

Original text and translations

English text

As thy shadow itself apply’th
To follow thee whereso thou go,
And when thou bends, itself it wry’th,
Turning, as thou, both to and fro;
The flatterer doth even so
And shapes himself the same to gloze,
With many a fawning and gay show,
Whom he would frame for his purpose.