Not From Around Here

A little English Madrigal for this May Day

May 1, 2007 · 1 Comment

In honor (honour?) of the impending arrival of my sister on this fine May Day morning, with all the puns associated with both her name and her favorite hobby, I present without further ado an appropriate little ditty, a.k.a. an English Madrigal.

This Sweet and Merry Merry Month of May
William Byrd (1543-1623)

This sweet and merry merry month of May
While Nature wantons in her Prime
And birds do sing,
and beasts do play,
For pleasure of the joyful time.
I choose the first for holiday,
and greet Eliza with a rhyme:
O beauteous Queen of second Troy
Take well in worth a simple toy.

Categories: culture · music · whimsy

1 response so far ↓

Leave a Comment