Three Elizabethan Partsongs (Ralph Vaughan Williams)

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  • (Posted 2021-09-29)  CPDL #65939:     
Editor: Douglas Walczak (submitted 2021-09-29).   Score information: Letter, 8 pages, 116 kB   Copyright: Personal
Edition notes:

General Information

Title: Three Elizabethan Partsongs
Composer: Ralph Vaughan Williams
Lyricist: George Herbert (Sweet Day) Lyricist: William Shakespeare (The Willow Song & O Mistress Mine)
Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1913
Description: 

External websites:

Original text and translations

English.png English text

I. Sweet Day
1 Sweet day, so cool, so calm, so bright,
The bridal of the earth and sky:
The dew shall weep thy fall tonight,
For thou must die.

2 Sweet rose, whose hue, angry and brave,
Bids the rash gazer wipe his eye:
Thy root is ever in its grave,
And thou must die.

3 Sweet spring, full of sweet days and roses,
A box where sweets compacted lie;
My music shows ye have your closes,
And all must die.

4 Only a sweet and virtuous soul,
Like seasoned timber, never gives;
But though the whole world turn to coal,
Then chiefly lives.

II. The Willow Song
The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree,
Sing all a green willow:
Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee,
Sing willow, willow, willow:
The fresh streams ran by her, and murmur'd her moans;
Sing willow, willow, willow;
Her salt tears fell from her, and soften'd the stones;
Sing willow, willow, willow;
Sing all a green willow must be my garland.
                - from Othello

III. O Mistress Mine
O Mistress mine where are you roaming?
O stay and hear, your true love's coming,
      That can sing both high and low.
Trip no further pretty sweeting.
Journeys end in lovers' meeting,
      Every wise man's son doth know.

What is love, 'tis not hereafter,
Present mirth, hath present laughter:
      What's to come, is still unsure.
In delay there lies no plenty,
Then come kiss me sweet and twenty:
      Youth's a stuff will not endure.
               -from Twelfth Night

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