Sweet honey-sucking bees (John Wilbye)
Music files
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- 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
- Possible error(s) identified. See the discussion page for full description.
- 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.
- Possible error(s) identified. See the discussion page for full description.
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
External websites:
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.
]