How hard is the fortune of all womankind (William Boyce)

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• (Posted 2022-08-11)  CPDL #70351: 

Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2022-08-11).   Score information: A4, 2 pages, 139 kB   Copyright: CC BY SA

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

General Information

Title: How hard is the fortune of all womankind
Composer: William Boyce
Lyricist: Anonymous
Number of voices: 2vv   Voicing: SS
Genre: Secular, Glee

Language: English
Instruments: Keyboard

First published: c.1748
Description: Published in Lyra Britannica (re-edited, c.1786)

Original text and translations

English text

How hard is the fortune of all womankind,
For ever subjected, for ever confin'd.
Our parents control us until we are wives;
Our husbands enslave us the rest of our lives.

Tho' fondly we love, yet we dare not reveal.
But secretly languish, compell'd to conceal:
Denied ev'ry freedom of life to enjoy,
We're sham'd if we're kind, and we're blamed if we're coy.