Sylvia, wilt thou waste thy time - Arne, Thomas

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"A song probably written for performance in the London pleasure Gardens. Published in Clio and Euterpe, or British Harmony."

⌛ Period → Baroque ◈ Genre → Arias ♬ Voicing → Solo high ¶ Language → English

Parts 1

Instruments Basso continuo|violin obbligato

CPDL # 69979

Editor Christopher Shaw

Posted 2022-07-11

License Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike

¶Lyrics / Text

Sylvia, wilt thou waste thy prime, Stranger to the joys of love? Thou hast youth, and that's the time Ev'ry minute to improve. Round thee wilt thou never hear Little wanton girls and boys, Sweetly sounding in thy ear Infant prate and mother's joys. Only view that little dove, Softly cooing to its mate; As a further proof of love, See her for his kisses wait. Hark! that charming nightingale, As it flies from spray to spray, Sweetly tune an am'rous tale, "I love, I love", it strives to say. Could I to thy soul reveal But the least, the thousandth part, Of those pleasures lovers feel, In a mutual change of heart. Then repenting, would'st thou say: "Virgins' fears from hence remove; All the time is thrown away That we cannot spend in love".