| Author | Topic: Add: Drink to me only. | |
| Pip Freeman | Posted - 12 Sep 03 - 10:35 am | |
Drink to me only with thine eyes And I will pledge with mine. Or leave a kiss within the cup, And I'll not look for wine. The thirst that from the soul doth rise, Doth ask a drink divine But might I of Jove's nectar sip, I would not change for thine. I sent thee late a rosy wreath, Not so much hon'ring thee. As giving it a hope that there It could not wither'd be. But thou thereon did'st only breathe And sent'st it back to me, Since when it grows and smells, I swear Not of itself, but thee. Source-The Scottish Students Songbook; Pub.Bayley & Ferguson. ABC and Database entry to follow. | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 12 Sep 03 - 01:03 pm | |
The words are by Ben Jonson (1572-1637) and first appeared in his play Volpone (1606). The composer of the tune is not known. | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 12 Sep 03 - 03:10 pm | |
As I understand, the poem was titled "To Celia" and first appeared in his collection of poems, The Forest (1616). Click here. I read Volpone as a student, but, if my memory is correct, it was not in it. | ||
| Jon Freeman | Posted - 12 Sep 03 - 07:09 pm | |
Added to database here. Any ideas whether Malcolm or Masato are right with when it first appeared? Jon (trying to give abc and "system" lessons) & Pip | ||
| dmcg | Posted - 12 Sep 03 - 07:42 pm | |
I'm still bookless, so ... no idea at all. | ||
| Jon Freeman | Posted - 12 Sep 03 - 08:04 pm | |
The Traditional ballad index says EARLIEST DATE: 1616 (as part of "To Celia," in "The Workes of Benjamin Jonson"); tune in print by 1780 Jon | ||
| Jon Freeman | Posted - 12 Sep 03 - 08:34 pm | |
Hmm, I'm really confuse with this one. I asked Peter/dad who has just pointed me to "Chambers Biographical Dictionary". To quote from there: ... Drink to me only with thine Eyes in Volpone (of all places)... Jon | ||
| Malcolm Douglas |
Posted - 12 Sep 03 - 09:37 pm | |
Yes; I had a quick look at Chambers to confirm Jonson's dates before posting, and saw the reference to Volpone; it isn't repeated in any of the other (quite limited) references I have, and does seem to be wrong. I can't actually remember whether or not I read Volpone when I was supposed to; probably not. Neither Chappell nor the Oxford Companion to Music have much to say, though the latter points out that the poem (1616) is closely based on passages from the letters of Philostratus (third century) and that the tune was published around 1770 as a glee. Various people have at times been credited as composer; none, apparently, with any verifiable evidence. | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 13 Sep 03 - 04:46 am | |
According to James J. Fuld (The Book of World-Famous Music, 5th ed., Dover, p. 202), m. Unknown. w. Ben Jonson. The words were first published after March, 1616, in the poem To Celia in a collection of poems by Jonson called The Forrest, included in The Workes of Benjamin Jonson, at p. 829.The page can be viewed online at Schoenberg Center for Electronic Text & Image (Click here). There's also an HTML etext (with modernized spellings) of Ben Jonson's "The Forest" HERE (Luminarium Editions). I had a rapid look at the text of Volpone, but the poem wasn't found there. Ben Jonson's "Volpone": electronic edition (UMichigan) | ||
| Jon Freeman | Posted - 13 Sep 03 - 11:46 am | |
Thanks all. I've updated the notes in the song database, giving the 1616 date. I think we have reached agreement that Chambers is wrong in this instance. | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 16 Sep 03 - 03:03 am | |
From The Workes of Benjamin Jonson (Imprinted at London by Will Stansby, 1616, p. 829):
Edited By masato sakurai - 17-Nov-2003 00:40:13 AM | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 17 Sep 03 - 03:50 pm | |
Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes in Pan-Pipes - A book of old songs, newly arranged, & with accompaniments by Theo Marzials; set to pictures by Walter Crane; engraved and printed in colours by Edmund Evans. / Marzials, Theo (London : George Routledge & Sons, 1883, p. 22) | ||
| Pip Freeman | Posted - 17 Sep 03 - 07:18 pm | |
That is really lovely, a beautiful engraving and colours. I'd love to get hold of the complete book. | ||
| dmcg | Posted - 17 Sep 03 - 08:24 pm | |
Follow the link, then change the last couple of digits before the '.jpg' and you can see the whole book! | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 17 Sep 03 - 11:33 pm | |
Digitale Bibliothek Braunschweig: Kinderbücher is a site I sometimes visit, a great collection of picture books. | ||
| Pip Freeman | Posted - 18 Sep 03 - 10:04 am | |
Thanks for the link, an interesting place to visit. That is a truly lovely book too, it took me a long time though! | ||
| masato sakurai | Posted - 25 Mar 05 - 01:49 am | |
New address for Pan-Pipes - A book of old songs. | ||
