Bantock (arr.) – Drink to me only with thine eyes
Title: Drink to me only with thine eyes
Music: Popular song, attributed to Colonel R. Mellish (1777-1817)
Arranger: Granville Bantock (1868-1946)
Text: Ben Jonson (1572-1637)
Free at Art Song Central:
- PDF file: Drink to me only with thine eyes
- Key: D♭ Major
- Range: D♭4 – D♭5
- Source: One Hundred Songs of England
Elsewhere on the Internet:
Mp3:
- There are numerous arrangements of this tune to be found online, but not necessarily this version.
MIDI:
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 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 wither’d 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.* other editions have “within” here, but this appears to be the authentic text.
- Wikipedia has an article on Drink to me only with thine eyes
I am a visitor from germany – please help me translating the verse.
‘Jove’s nectar’ will be the same as ‘Love’s nectar’?
Thank you!
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.
Jove is another name for Jupiter, the Roman “king of the gods.”