Ye shepherds so cheerful and gay (Stephen Storace)

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• (Posted 2022-08-11)  CPDL #70344: 

Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2022-08-11).   Score information: A4, 2 pages, 119 kB   Copyright: CC BY SA

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

General Information

Title: Ye shepherds so cheerful and gay
Composer: Stephen Storace
Lyricist: William Shenstone
Number of voices: 1v   Voicing: solo high
Genre: Secular, Aria

Language: English
Instruments: Keyboard

First published: c.1782 (n/d) Eight canzonets
Description: Accompaniment for piano or harp prescribed by the composer.

Original text and translations

English text

Ye shepherds, so cheerful and gay,
Whose flocks never carelessly roam;
Should Corydon's happen to stray,
Oh, call the poor wanderers home.
Allow me to muse and to sigh
Nor talk of the change that ye find;
None once was so watchful as I:
I've left my dear Phyllis behind.

But why do I languish in vain,
Why wander thus pensively here?
Oh! why did I come from the plain,
Where I fed on the smiles of my dear?
They tell me my favourite maid,
The pride of the valley is flown:
Alas! where with her I have stray'd,
I could wander with pleasure alone.

When forced the fair nymph to forego,
What anguish I felt at my heart!
Yet I thought, but it might not be so,
'Twas with pain that she saw me depart.
She gazed as I slowly withdrew,
My path I could hardly discern;
So sweetly she bade me adieu,
I thought that she bade me return.