Retire my soul (William Byrd)

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• CPDL #8690:

Editor: David Fraser (submitted 2004-12-06).   Score information: A4, 4 pages, 98 kB    Copyright: CPDL

Edition notes: Revised Nov 08

General Information

Title: Retire my soul
Composer: William Byrd
Number of voices: 5vv   Voicing: SSATB

Genre: Secular, Partsong

Language: English
Instruments: a cappella
Published: Psalmes, Songs, and Sonnets... (1611), no.17

Description:

External websites:

Original text and translations

English text

Retire my soule, consider thine estate,
And justly summe thy lavish sinnes account.
Times deare expence, and costly pleasures rate,
How follyes grow, how vanities amount.
Write all these down downe, in pale Deathes reckoning tables,
Thy dayes will seeme but dreames, thy hopes but fables.