Sweet honey-sucking bees (John Wilbye)

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• CPDL #10289:

Editor: Vince M. Brennan (submitted 2005-11-30).   Score information: Letter, 7 pages, 78 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes: Copyright (c) 2004 by V. M. Brennan

• CPDL #9304: NoteWorthy Composer

Editor: Brian Russell (submitted 2005-08-30).   Score information: A4, 14 pages, 99 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes: Includes part 2: Yet, sweet, take heed.

General Information

Title: Sweet honey sucking bees
Composer: John Wilbye

Number of voices: 5vv   Voicing: SSTTB

Genre: Secular, Madrigal

Language: English
Instruments: a cappella
Published: 1609

Description: No.17 from The 2nd Set of Madrigals. Part 1: for part 2, see Yet, sweet, take heed (John Wilbye)

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Original text and translations

English text

Sweet honey sucking bees, why do you still
surfeit on roses, pinks and violets,
as if the choicest nectar lay in them
wherewith you store your curious cabinets?

Ah, make your flight to Melisuavia's lips.
There may you revel in ambrosian cheer,
where smiling roses and sweet lilies sit,
Keeping their springtide graces all the year.

[Part 2:
Yet, sweet, take heed, all sweets are hard to get:
Sting not her soft lips, O, beware of that,
for if one flaming dart come from her eye,
was never dart so sharp, ah, then you die.
]