Dry be that tear, my gentlest love (Thomas Linley the elder)

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(Posted 2017-11-09) CPDL #47266:

Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2017-11-09). Score information: A4, 3 pages, 58 kB Copyright: CC BY SA

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

General Information

Title: Dry be that tear, my gentlest love
Composer: Thomas Linley the elder
Lyricist: Richard Brinsley Sheridan^{create page}

Number of voices: 3vv Voicing: SSB
Genre: Secular, Glee

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published:
Description: Thomas Linley was the head of a musical Bath family several of whose children achieved a national reputation (as did his son in law, and lyricist in this piece). Some of his elegies (a mid- eighteenth century form akin to, but separate from, the glee were perhaps composed for his dughters, two of whom were well known singers. This piece is perhaps one such.

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Original text and translations

English text

Dry be that tear, my gentlest love,
Be hushed that struggling sigh;
Not seasons, day, nor fate shall prove
More fixed, more true, than I.
Dry be that tear, be hushed that sigh,
I'll love thee till I die.

Ask'st thou how long my vows shall stay,
When all that's new is past?
How long, Ah! Delia, can I say
How long my life shall last?
Dry be that tear, be hushed that sigh,
I'll love thee till I die.

And does the thought affect thee too;
The thought of Sylvios' death;
That he who only lived for you
Should yield his faithful breath?
Hushed be that sigh, dry be that tear,
Nor let us loose our heaven here.