Texts, Translations, and General Program Notes

"He is handsome and good, girlfriend, my husband is!"
There were these two neighbor women in the country,
One says to the other, "Do you have a good husband?"
"He is handsome and good...
He doesn't make me cross, never beats me either,
He tends the animals, he feeds the chickens,
And I take my pleasure!
Girlfriend! It's enough to make you laugh
When the chickens cry out: 'Little chick, co co dac, what's this?'
He is handsome and good..."

La, la, la, je ne lo, je ne l'ose dire,
La, la, la, je le vous diray.
Il est un homme en nos ville, qui de sa femme est jaloux.
Il n'est pas jaloux sans cause, mais il est cocu du tout.
Il apreste et si la maine au marche s'en va a tout.

Matona, mia cara, mi follere canzon,
Cantar sotto finestra, lantze buon compagnon,
Don, don, don, diri, don...
Ti prego m'ascoltare, che mi cantar de bon,
E mi ti foller bene, come Greco e capon.
Don, don, don, diri, don...
Comandar alle cazze, Carzzar con le falcon,
Mi ti portar becazze, grasse come rognon.
Don, don, don, diri, don...
Si mi non saper dire, tante belle razon,
Petrarcha mi non saper, ne fonte d'Helicon.
Don, don, don, diri, don...
Se ti mi foller bene, mi non esser poltron,
Mi ficcar tutta notte urtar come monton.
Don, don, don, diri, don...

Mon cœur se recommande à vous,
Tout plein d'ennui et de martyre;
Au moins en dépit des jaloux.
Faites qu'adieu puisse dire!
Ma bouche qui savait sourire,
Et conter propos gracieux,
Ne fait maintenant que maudire
Ceux qui m'ont banni de vos yeux.

My heart is offered still to you,
Full now of woe and deep despairing;
Be not to constancy untrue.
Say one farewell, my sorrow sharing!
My mouth which once could smile in gladness,
And charming stories improvise,
Now can only curse at its madness
Those who banished me from your eyes.

1. Musica, die ganz lieblich Kunst,
   Ist ehrenwert zu halten,
   Hat billig allenthalben Gunst,
   Bei Jungen und bei Alten.
   Sie frischt das Herz,
   Weichs leidet Schmerz,
   Tut all Unmut vertreiben,
   Läßt traurig niemand bleiben.
   
2. Viel elder Kraft sie mit sich bringt;
   Davon wir alle zeugen.
   Ihr Lieblichkeit durchs Hertze dringt
   Ver könnt ihr Lob verschweigen.
   Es müßt doch sein
   Ein harter Stein,
   Der sich nicht leiß bewegen
   Wenn sich Gesang tut regen.
   
3. Drum wollen wir mit heller Stimm,
   Frau Musica stets Preisen.
   Sie wird gewißlich immerdar
   Uns ihre Gunst erweisen,
   Stimmt an, stimmt an
   Den Lobgesang.
   Laßt eure Stimm' erklingen
   Und hört nicht auf zu singen!
   

1. Music, the most lovely art,
   Is to be kept honorable,
   And has inexpensive favor everywhere,
   By young and old alike.
   It refreshes the heart,
   Eases pain,
   Drives out all displeasure,
   And allows no one to remain sad.
   
2. It brings with it much older crafts;
   To that we all witness.
   Its loveliness penetrates through the heart,
   Its praise cannot be concealed.
   It must really be
   A hard stone
   Which cannot be moved
   When there is singing about.
   
3. Therefore, let us with a bright voice,
   Hold Lady Music priceless.
   It will always know
   to render favor unto us.
   Sing on, sing on
   The song of praise.
   Let our voices ring out
   And never cease to sing!
   

My bonny lass she smileth,
When she my heart beguileth,
Fa la la...
Smile less, dear love, therefore,
And you shall love me more.
Fa la la...
When she her sweet eye turneth,
Oh, how my heart it burneth!
Fa la la...
Dear love, call in their light,
Or else you burn me quite!
Fa la la...

Text:

1. Now is the month of Maying,
   When merry lads are playing.
   Fa la la...
   Each with his bonny lass
   Upon the greeny grass.
   Fa la la...
   
2. The Spring, clad all in gladness
   Doth laugh at winter's sadness.
   Fa la la.
   And to the bagpipe's sound
   The nymphs tread out their ground.
   Fa la la...
   
3. Fie, then! Why sit we musing,
   Youth's sweet delight refusing?
   Fa la la...
   Say, dainty nymphs, and speak:
   Shall we play barley break?
   Fa la la...
   

Now, O now, I needs must part,
Parting, though I absent mourn.
Absence can no joy impart:
Joy once fled cannot return

Refrain:
Sad despair doth drive me hence;
This despair unkindness sends.
If that parting be offence,
It is she that then offends.

While I live, I needs must love.
Love lives not when hope is gone.
Now, at last, Despair doth prove
Love divided lovest none

Sad despair doth drive me hence...

Now we are met, let mirth abound
And let the catch and toast go 'round.

One smiling summer morning,
Ah, me!
My love, my passion scorning,
Bade me be gone away;
Her hand she me denied:
No more they suit with burning words be pleading,
For all is vain; your words I am not heeding.
Heart and hand I give together.
And so, goodbye, this pleasant summer weather.
Your mirth you may reveal it,
My grief I scarcely can conceal it.

Rest sweet nymphs, let golden sleep
Charm your star-brighter eyes
While my lute the watch doth keep
With pleasing sympathies.
Lulla, lullaby.
Sleep sweetly, sleep sweetly,
Let nothing afright ye,
In calm contentment lie.
Lulla, lullaby.
Dream fair virgins of delight
And blest Elysian groves
While the wandering shades of night
Resemble your true loves.
Lulla, lullaby.
Your kisses, your blisses
Send them by your wishes,
Although they be not nigh.
Lulla, lullaby.

1. Since first I saw your face I resolved to honor and renown ye
   If now I be disdained, I wish my heart had never known ye.
   What, I that loved and you that liked, shall we begin to wrangle?
   No, no, no, my heart is fast and cannot disentangle.
   
2. The sun, whose beams most glorious are, rejecteth no beholder,
   And your sweet beauty past compare made my poor eyes the bolder;
   Where beauty moves and wit delights, and signs of kindness bind me,
   There, O there, where e'er I go, I leave my heart behind me.
   
3. If I desire or praise you too much, that fault you may forgive me,
   Or if my hand had strayed but a touch, then justly you might leave me.
   I asked you leave, you bade me love. Is now the time to chide me?
   No, no, no, I'll love you still, what fortune e'er betide me.
   

Since Robin Hood, Maid Marian, and Little John are gone-a
The hobby horse was quite forgot when Kemp did dance alone-a
He did labor after the tabor
For to dance, then into France.
He took pains
To skip it in hope of gains.
He did trip it on the toe,
Diddle diddle diddle doe.

S'io ti vedess' una sol volte il giorno
Content one stari a tutta la sera;
Farurera, bella fior di primavera

Ah, could my eyes behold thee every morning
Contented would my heart at evening rest
Farurera, dearest fairest blossom of spring

So well I know who's happy!
Too well I know who's happy!
Fa la la...
But I'll not have it so!
I will not have it so!
Fa la la...
So well I know who's favored!
Too well I know who's favored!
Fa la la...
But, ah, I cannot say!
Alas I cannot say!
Fa la la...
Oh, if I could but say now,
If I could only say now,
Fa la la...
Who comes, who goes, who stays!
Who goes, who comes, who stays!
Fa la la...

Strike it up, Tabor
And pipe us a favour,
Thou shalt be well paid for thy labour.
I mean to spend my shoe-soul
To dance about the Maypole,
I will be blithe and brisk,
Leap and skip, hop and trip,
Turn about in the rout
Until very weary joints can scarce frisk.

Lusty Dick Hopkin
Lay on with thy napkin.
The stitching cost me but a dodkin.
The Morris were half undone
were't not for Martin of Compton.
O, well, said jigging Alce.
Pretty Jill, stand you still,
Dapper Jack means to smack.
How now, fie fie fie, you dance false.

(Sing cuccu, nu, sing cuccu)
Sumer is icumen in,
Lhude sing cuccu!
Groweþ sed and bloweþ med And springþ þe wde nu,
Sing cuccu!
Awe bleteþ after lomb,
Lhouþ after calue cu.
Bulluc sterteþ, bucke uerteþ,
Murie sing cuccu!
Cuccu, cuccu, wel singes þe cuccu;
Ne swik þu nauer nu.

(Sing, cuckoo, now, sing, cuckoo!)
Summer has come in,
Loudly sing, cuckoo!
Seeds grow and meadows blow
And the woods spring anew,
Sing, cuckoo!
The ewe bleats after the lamb,
After the calf lows the cow.
The bull jumps, the goat burps,
Merrily sing, cuckoo!
Cuckoo, you sing well;
Nor will you ever cease now.

1. Sweet Kate, of late,
   Ran away and left me plaining.
   "Abide!" I cried,
   "Or I die with thy disdaining."
   "Tee-hee-hee," quoth she, "O, gladly would I see
   Any man to die with loving.
   Never any yet
   Died of such a fit;
   Neither have I fear of proving."
   
2. "Unkind! I find
   Thy delight is in tormenting.
   Abide!" I cried,
   "Or I die with thy consenting."
   "Tee-hee-hee," quoth she, "no, make no fool of me!
   Men, I know, have oaths at pleasure.
   But their hopes attained
   They bewray they feigned,
   And their oaths are kept at leisure."
   
3. Her words, like swords
   Cut my sorry heart to sunder.
   Her flouts, with doubts
   Kept my heart's affection under.
   "Tee-hee-hee," quoth she, "O, what a fool is he
   Stands in awe of once denying!"
   Cause I had, enough to become more rough,
   So I did. O happy trying!
   

Though Philomela lost her love,
Fresh note she warbleth, yes, again.
Fa la la...
He is a fool, that lovers prove:
And leaves to sing, to live in pain.
Fa la la...

Thus saith my Cloris bright
When we of love sit down and talk together:
"Beware of love, deere,
Love is a walking sprite,
And love is this and that,
And, O, I wot not what,
And comes and goes again, I wot not whither."
No, no, theseare but bugs to breed amazing,
For in her eies I saw his torchlight blazing.

Weep, O mine eyes, and cease not.
Alas, these, your spring-tides, methinks, increase not.
O, when begin you
To swell so high that I may drown me in you?

1. What if I never speed? Shall I straight yield to despair,
   And still on sorrow feed, that can no loss repair?
   Or shall I change my love? For I find pow'r to depart,
   And by my reason prove I can command my heart.
   But if she will pity my desire, and my love requite,
   Then ever shall she live my dear delight.
   Come, come, come, while I have a heart to desire thee.
   Come, come, come, for either I will love or admire thee.
   
2. Oft have I dreamed of joy, yet I never felt the sweet;
   But tired with annoy, my griefs each other greet.
   Oft have I left my hope as a wretch by fate forlorn;
   But love aims at one scope, and lost will still return.
   He that once loves with a true desire never can depart,
   For Cupid is the king of every heart.
   Come, come, come, while I have a heart to desire thee.
   Come, come, come, for either I will love or admire thee.
   

Your shining eyes and golden hair,
Your Lily-rosed lips most fair;
Your other beauties that excel,
Men cannot choose but like them well.
But when, for them, they say they'll die,
Believe them not, they do but lie!