Lovely Selina (John Blow)

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  • (Posted 2014-09-22) CPDL #33002:        (Sibelius 7)
Editor: Cathal Twomey (submitted 2014-09-21).   Score information: A4, 6 pages, 155 kB   Copyright: CPDL
Edition notes: Continuo realisation and figuring editorial (many thanks to David Grealy for his assistance with this).

General Information

Title: Lovely Selina
Composer: John Blow
Lyricist: Anonymous

Number of voices: 1v   Voicing: solo high
Genre: SecularArt song

Language: English
Instruments: Basso continuo

First published: 1683
Description: Setting of an anonymous poem telling of an innocent maiden betrayed by her lover. Set to a ground bass of a descending tetrachord. Sung in Nathaniel Lee's 'The Princess of Cleve' between 1680 and 1683.

External websites:

Original text and translations

English.png English text

Lovely Selina, innocent and free
from all the dangerous arts of love,
thus in a melancholy grove
enjoy’d the sweetness of her privacy;
’till envious gods, designing to undo her,
dispatch’d the swain not unlike then to woo her.

It was not long ’ere the design did take;
a gentle youth, born to persuade
deceiv’d the too too easy maid,
her scrip and garlands soon she did forsake,
and rashly told the secrets of her heart
which this fond man would evermore impart.

False Florimel, joy of my heart, said she,
’tis hard to love, and love in vain,
to love, and not be lov’d again;
and why should love and prudence disagree?
Pity ye pow’rs that sit at ease above,
if ‘ere you know what ’tis to be in love.