Ye shepherds, who, blest in your loves - Arne, Thomas

♪

"Probably written for performance at Vauxhall."

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

Parts 1

Instruments Basso continuo, violin

Pages 3

CPDL # 87086

Editor Christopher Shaw

Posted 2025-10-09

License Creative Commons Attribution Share Alike

¶Lyrics / Text

Ye shepherds, who, blest in your loves, Live strangers to sorrow and care, Oh! pity a brother that proves The heart-breaking pangs of despair. What boots it my heifers and ewes, All thriving and pregnant I find? Poor blessings, poor comforts are those, Since Peggy is false and unkind. Bear witness each fountain and vale; Bear witness each garden and grove How oft she has heard my fond tale, And smil'd on the fruit of my love. But oh! cruel change that I find: The gentle is now grown severe; More cold than the north's chilling wind, That blasts the young buds of the year. Range wildly, my flocks and my herds; Begone from your master, poor Tray; My pipe shall no more wake the birds; I'll break it and fling it away. Some desert, all barren and bleak, Shall shield me from every eye; There, Peggy, I'll weep for thy sake; I'll weep cruel maid, and I'll die.