Ye little birds that sit and sing (Richard Mann)

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• (Posted 2023-11-14)  CPDL #77332:     

Editor: David Anderson (submitted 2023-11-14).   Score information: Letter, 8 pages, 335 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: Ye little birds that sit and sing
Composer: Richard Mann
Lyricist: Thomas Heywood
Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1875 Novello, Ewer, and Co.
Description: Original Novello publication (1875) included no dynamic or expression markings.

Original text and translations

English text

Ye little birds that sit and sing
Amidst the shady valleys,
And see how Phillis sweetly walks
Within her garden-alleys;
Go, pretty birds, about her bower,
Sing, she may not lower;
Ah, me! methinks I see her frown!
Ye pretty wantons, warble.

Go, tell her through your chirping bills,
As you by me are bidden,
To her is only known my love,
Which from the world is hidden.
Go, pretty birds and tell her so;
See that your notes strain not too low,
For still, methinks I see her frown;
Ye pretty wantons, warble.

Oh, fly! make haste! see, she falls
Into a pretty slumber.
Sing round about her rosy bed
That, waking, she may wonder.
Sing to her, ’tis her lover true
That sendeth, sendeth love to you, to you; *
And when you hear her kind reply,
Return with pleasant warblings.