o those Elizabethans and their aesthetic bitterness! Here’s a song setting sketch from a couple months ago that I never posted, but had a decent rough recording of.
words by Robert Jones, found in Lyrics from the song-books of the Elizabethan age
Once did my thoughts both ebbe and flow,
As passion did them move,
Once did I hope, straight fear again,
And then I was in love.
Once did I waking spend the night,
And told how many minutes move,
Once did I wishing waste the day,
And then I was in love.
Once by my carving true love’s knot,
The weeping trees did prove,
That wounds and tears were both our lot,
And then I was in love.
Once did I breathe another’s breath,
And in my mistress move,
Once was I not mine own at all,
And then I was in love.
Once did I Sonnet to my Saint,
My soul in numbers move,
Once did I tell a thousand lies,
And then I was in love.
Once wore I bracelets made of hair,
And collars did approve,
Once wore my clothes made out of wax,
And then I was in love.
Once in my ear did dangling hang,
A little turtle dove,
Once, in a word, I was a fool,
And then I was in love.
