by Edmund Spenser (1552 - 1599)
Loe! where she comes along with portly...
Language: English
Loe! where she comes along with portly pace, Lyke Phoebe, from her chamber of the East, Arysing forth to run her mighty race, Clad all in white, that seems a virgin best. So well it her beseems, that ye would weene Some angell she had beene. Her long loose yellow locks lyke golden wyre, Sprinckled with perle, and perling flowres atweene, Doe lyke a golden mantle her attyre, And, being crowned with a girland greene, Seem lyke some mayden queene. Her modest eyes, abashed to behold So many gazers as on her do stare, Upon the lowly ground affixed are, Ne dare lift up her countenance too bold, But blush to heare her prayses sung so loud, — So farre from being proud. Nathlesse doe ye still loud her prayses sing, That all the woods may answer, and your eccho ring.
R. Vaughan Williams sets lines 1-11
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with The Poetical Works of Edmund Spenser, Volume V, edited by Francis J. Child, London: Imprinted for William Ponsonbie, dwelling in Paules Churchyard at the Signe of the Bishops Head, 1591.
Modernized spelling used in Vaughan Williams's music:
Lo! where she comes along with portly pace, like Phoebe from her chamber of the east, Arising forth to run her mighty race, Clad all in white, that seems a virgin best. So well it her beseems that ye would ween Some angel she had been. Her long loose yellow locks like golden wire, Sprinkled with pearl, and pearling flowers atween, Do like a golden mantle her attire, And being crowned with a garland green, seem like some maiden Queen...
Authorship:
- by Edmund Spenser (1552 - 1599), no title, appears in Amoretti and Epithalamion, in Epithalamion, no. 9 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:
- by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958), "Procession of the bride", 1957, published 1957 [ baritone, mixed chorus, orchestra ], from cantata Epithalamion, no. 5, London, Oxford University Press
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Gustav Ringel
This text was added to the website: 2020-01-11
Line count: 19
Word count: 141