by John Skelton (1460 - 1529)

Intermezzo ‑ Pretty Bess
Language: English 
My proper Bess
My pretty Bess;
  Turn once again to me!
For sleepest thou, Bess,
  Or wakest thou, Bess,
Mine heart it is with thee.

My daisy delectable,
My primrose commendable,
  My violet amiable,
My joy inexplicable,
  Now turn again to me.

Alas! I am disdained,
And as a man half maimed,
  My heart is so sore pained!
I pray thee, Bess, unfeigned,
  Yet come again to me!

By love I am constrained
To be with you retained,
  It will not be refrained:
I pray you, be reclaimed,
  And turn again to me.

My proper Bess,
My pretty Bess,
  Turn once again to me!
For sleepest thou, Bess,
  Or wakest thou, Bess,
Mine heart it is with thee.

Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-04-10
Line count: 27
Word count: 118