While my lady sleepeth (Robert Drury)

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• (Posted 2023-10-10)  CPDL #76216:     

Editor: David Anderson (submitted 2023-10-10).   Score information: Letter, 8 pages, 607 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: While my lady sleepeth
Composer: Robert Drury
Lyricist:
Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1900 J. Curwen & Sons
Description: 

Original text and translations

English text

While my lady sleepeth,
The dark blue heaven is bright,
Soft the moonbeams creepeth
Round her bower all night.
Thou gentle, gentle breeze!
While my lady slumbers,
Waft lightly thro’ the trees
Echoes of my numbers,
Her dreaming ear to please.

Should ye, breathing numbers
That for her I weave,
Should ye break her slumbers,
All my soul would grieve.
Rise on the gentle breeze,
And gain her lattice height
Over yonder poplar trees,—
But be your echoes light
As hum of distant bees.

All the stars are glowing
In the gorgeous sky;
In the stream scarce flowing
Mimic lustres lie:
Blow, gentle, gentle breeze!
But bring no cloud to hide
Her dear resplendencies,
Nor chase from Zara’s side
Dreams bright and pure as these.

Serenade
From the Romancero General of 1604
Translated John Gibson Lockhart (1794–1854)