Ye shepherds, who, blest in your loves (Thomas Arne)
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- (Posted 2025-10-09) CPDL #87086:
- Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2025-10-09). Score information: A4, 3 pages, 144 kB Copyright: CC BY SA
- Edition notes: Please click on the link for preview/playback/PDF download. This edition includes the original instrumental accompaniment.
- (Posted 2025-10-09) CPDL #87085:
- Editor: Christopher Shaw (submitted 2025-10-09). Score information: A4, 2 pages, 83 kB Copyright: CC BY SA
- Edition notes: Please click on the link for preview/playback/PDF download. This edition includes a keyboard reduction of the original instrumental accompaniment.
General Information
Title: Ye shepherds, who, blest in your loves
Composer: Thomas Arne
Lyricist:
Number of voices: 1v Voicing: solo high
Genre: Secular, Aria
Language: English
Instruments: Basso continuo, violin
First published: 1760
Description: Probably written for performance at Vauxhall.
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
Ye shepherds, who, blest in your loves,
Live strangers to sorrow and care,
Oh! pity a brother that proves
The heart-breaking pangs of despair.
What boots it my heifers and ewes,
All thriving and pregnant I find?
Poor blessings, poor comforts are those,
Since Peggy is false and unkind.
Bear witness each fountain and vale;
Bear witness each garden and grove
How oft she has heard my fond tale,
And smil'd on the fruit of my love.
But oh! cruel change that I find:
The gentle is now grown severe;
More cold than the north's chilling wind,
That blasts the young buds of the year.
Range wildly, my flocks and my herds;
Begone from your master, poor Tray;
My pipe shall no more wake the birds;
I'll break it and fling it away.
Some desert, all barren and bleak,
Shall shield me from every eye;
There, Peggy, I'll weep for thy sake;
I'll weep cruel maid, and I'll die.