Sweet Kate (John Gerrard Williams)

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• (Posted 2023-12-18)  CPDL #78332:     

Editor: David Anderson (submitted 2023-12-18).   Score information: Letter, 8 pages, 459 kB   Copyright: Personal

Edition notes:

General Information

Title: Sweet Kate
Composer: John Gerrard Williams
Lyricist: Robert Jones
Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular, Partsong

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 1920 Novello and Co.
Description: Old English Lyrics, No. 2.

Original text and translations

English text

Sweet Kate of late
Ran away and left me ’plaining:
“Abide!” I cried,
“Or I die with thy disdaining.”
“Te! he! he!” quoth she,
“Gladly would I see
Any man to die with loving;
Never any yet
Died of such a fit;
Neither have I fear of proving.”

Unkind! I find
Thy delight is in tormenting:
“Abide” I cried,
“Or I die with thy consenting.”
“Te! he! he!” quoth she,
“Make no fool of me!
Men I know have oaths of pleasure;
But their hopes attain’d,
they betray they feign’d,
And their oaths are kept at leisure.”

Her words, Like swords,
Cut my sorry heart in sunder;
Her flouts, with doubts,
Kept my heart’s affections under.
“Te! he! he!” quoth she,
“What a fool is he
Stands in awe of once denying!”
Cause I had enough
To become more rough:
So I did. O happy trying!