by Ben Jonson (1572 - 1637)
The Kiss
Language: English
O that joy so soon should waste! Or so sweet a bliss As a kiss Might not for ever last! So sugared, so melting, so soft, so delicious, The dew that lies on roses, When the morn herself discloses, Is not so precious. O, rather than it would I smother, Were I to taste such another; It should be my wishing That I might die kissing.
Authorship:
- by Ben Jonson (1572 - 1637) [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 Geoffrey Bush (1920 - 1998), "The Kiss", 1952 [ baritone and piano ], from Three Songs of Ben Jonson, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-09-19
Line count: 12
Word count: 66