Kathleen Ferrier -"Drink to me only with thine eyes" by Roger Quilter

Kathleen Ferrier sings "Drink to me only with thine eyes"

from the cycle
"Three songs from old English popular songs " by Roger Quilter



"Drink to me only with thine eyes,
And I will pledge with mine;
Or leave a kiss within the cup,
And I'll not ask for wine.
The thirst that from the soul doth rise
Doth ask a drink divine;
But might I of Jove's nectar sup,
I would not change for thine.

I sent thee late a rosy wreath,
Not so much honouring thee,
As giving it a hope that there
It could not withered be.
But thou thereon didst only breathe
And send'st it back to me:
Since when it grows, and smells, I swear
Not of itself, but thee."

By Ben Jonson (1572-1637), "Song to Celia" based on a text in greek by Lucius Flavius Philostratus (c170-c248)
quotes from love letters 24, 30 and 31

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Quilter
• Kathleen
• Ferrier
• Drink
• to
• me
• only
• thine
• eyes
• Cycle
• Three
• songs
• from
• old
• English
• popular

[rareflower17]

Hi S Superstud that is a slightly different version. I have seen two versions and I sing which ever one I feel.

[andigrim007]

@rareflower17 Interesting comment!

I am curious to know : is the second version you are talking about by Quilter as well?

[SeniorSuperstud]

@andigrim007

The lyrics I quote have nothing to do with Quilter. They are the original lyrics as written by the sixteenth century English poet Ben Johnson. The original poem starts as follows: "Drink to me only with thine eyes and I will pledge with mine, or leave a kiss but in the cup and I'll not look for wine....."

[andigrim007]

@SeniorSuperstud Roger Quilter, composer who modified slightly these words for

his song "Drink to me only",the "version" i was refering to. Thank you for the reference.

[SeniorSuperstud]

Nice singer, but just like the others, she gets the lyrics wrong.

"Or leave a kiss within the cup" should be "Or leave a kiss but in the cup" and

"And I'll not ask for wine" should be "And I'll not look for wine."

I have never yet heard any singer who sings the correct lyrics.

[andigrim007]

@SeniorSuperstud

If you follow the vocal line for the words.

"Or leave a kiss within the cup" you will realise that the choice the composer made was to change the words for the "rhyme of the music", if i can call it like that...

The word "within" is far more musical and suited through all the three sounds

that is fulfilling...( his second phrase -a reiteration of the first musical phrase )...

It is always interesting to analyse those choces! Thank you fr your observation

[voicemad]

I learnt the words which Kathleen is singing and this was from sheet music which I bought in London in 1970.There are sometimes slightly different versions of songs, which may have been adjusted to suit the singer's intonation

[athenazhang99]

@SeniorSuperstud these lyrics are right... I'm singing this piece right now...

[athenazhang99]

@SeniorSuperstud ................the lyrics are actually right

[raphaelhudson]

@SeniorSuperstud These are the words Quilter set. She gets no lyrics wrong... <_<