Ye cliffs, I to your airy steep ascend (Samuel Webbe)

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• (Posted 2022-01-03)  CPDL #67373: 

Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2022-01-03).   Score information: A4, 2 pages, 210 kB   Copyright: CC BY SA

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

General Information

Title: Ye cliffs, I to your airy steep ascend
Composer: Samuel Webbe
Lyricist: William Hayley^{create page}
Number of voices: 3vv   Voicing: ATB
Genre: Secular, Glee

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1784
Description: Webbe's glee on the popular subject of the returning sailor.

Original text and translations

English text

Ye cliffs, I to your airy steep
Ascend with trembling hope and fear,
To gaze on this extensive deep,
And watch if William's sails appear.

Long months elapse, while here I breathe
Vain expectation's frequent prayer;
Till, bending o'er the waves beneath,
I drop the tear of dumb despair.

But see! a glistening sail in view;
Tumultuous hopes arise.
'Tis he! - I feel the vision true,
I trust my conscious eyes.

His promis'd signals from the mast
My timid doubts destroy:
What was your pain, ye terrors past,
To this ecstatic joy!