by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
If grief has any pow'r to kill
Language: English
If grief has any pow'r to kill, I have receiv'd my doom; The tyrant has declar'd his will, My time's not long to come; So close he has besieg'd my heart, No moment's ease I find, In vain I struggle with the dart That galls my tortur'd mind. Nor do I beg for a reprieve, I'm not so fond to live; Nor will I any longer grieve, Will you one smile but give. Your mercy then should to my heart An easy death convey, I'd then defy the power of smart, And melt in joys away.
Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked 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):
- by Henry Purcell (1658/9 - 1695), "If grief has any pow'r to kill", Z. 378, published 1685. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 96