Soft and safe though lowly grave (John Wall Callcott)
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CPDL #16695: Sibelius 5
- Editor: Jonathan Goodliffe (added 2008-04-19). Score information: A4, 8 pages, 86 kbytes Copyright: CPDL
- Edition notes:
General Information
Title: Soft and safe though lowly grave
Composer: John Wall Callcott
Number of voices: 6vv Voicing: SSATBB
Genre: Secular, Partsong
Language: English
Instruments: a cappella (originally). Piano accompaniment added by William Horsley (1774-1858).
Published: Not known
Description: A 6 part glee
External websites:
Original text and translations
From "Julia", an anonymous poem included by Thomas Evans in his "Old ballads, historical and narrative", published 1810.
English text
JULIA
[To the graves where sleep the dead,
- Hapless Julia took her way;
Sighs to heave, and tears to shed
- O’er the spot where Damon lay,
Many a blooming flower she bore,
- O’er the green grass turf to throw
And while fast her tears did pour,
- Thus she sang to soothe her woe.]
Soft and safe, though lowly, grave,
- Fast o'er thee my tears shall flow,
Only hope the hapless have,
- Only refuge left for woe.
Constant love and grief sincere,
- Shall thy hallowed turf pervade,
And many a heartfelt sigh and tear,
- Hapless youth shall soothe thy shade.
Lighted by the moon's pale shine,
- See me to thy mem’ry true;
Lowly bending at thy shrine,
- Many a votive flow'r to strew.
But how little do these flow'rs,
- Prove my love and con-stancy!
Yet a few sad fleeting hours,
- And dear youth I'll follow thee.
[Rose replete with scent and hue,
- Sweetest flow’r that nature blows,
Damon flourished once like you;
- Now o’er him the green grass grows,
Rose, go deck his hallowed grave,
- Lily, o’er the green turf twine;
Honour meet that turf should have,
- Beauty’s bed, and virtue’s shrine.
Primrose pale, and violet blue,
- Jasmine sweet, and eglantine,
Nightly here thy sweets I strew,
- Proud to deck my true love’s shrine.
Like you my Damon bloomed a day,
- He did die and so must you,
But such charms can you display,
- Half so virtuous, half so true?]
No sweet flow'rets, no such charms,
- No such virtues can You boast;
Yet he's torn from my fond arms,
- Yet my faithful love is crossed!
But a radiant morn shall rise,
- (Loit'ring moments faster flow,)
Till with Him I tread the skies,
- Smile at death and laugh at woe.”
[Thus she sung and strewed the flow’r,
- Beat her breast, and wept, and sighed;
And, when toll’d the midnight hour,
- On the green turf grave she died.
Many a nightingale forlorn,
- Sung her knell, while breezes sighed:
Haughty grandeur heard with scorn,
- How so poor a maiden died.]
Note: Bracketed text not part of the musical setting