Thomas Ford (composer)

I did but see her passing by,
And yet I love her till I die.

Thomas Ford (c. 1580 – buried 17 November 1648) was an English composer, musician and poet.

Quotes

• There is a Lady sweet and kind,
  Was never face so pleased my mind;
  I did but see her passing by,
  And yet I love her till I die.
  • "There is a Lady sweet and kind", st. 1, in Music of Sundry Kinds (1607); ll. 3–4 applied by Sir Robert Menzies to Queen Elizabeth II

• Her free behaviour, winning looks
  Will make a Lawyer burn his books;
  I touched her not, alas! not I,
  And yet I love her till I die.
  • "There is a Lady sweet and kind", st. 3, in Music of Sundry Kinds (1607)

• Since first I saw your face I resolved to honour and renown ye,
  If now I be disdained I wish my heart had never known ye.
  What? I that loved and you that liked shall we begin to wrangle?
  No, no no, my heart is fast, and cannot disentangle.
  • "Since first I saw your face", st. 1, in Music of Sundry Kinds (1607)

• Where beauty moves, and wit delights and signs of kindness bind me
  There, O there! where’er I go I’ll leave my heart behind me.
  • "Since first I saw your face", st. 3, in Music of Sundry Kinds (1607)

• Yet if his majesty our sovereign lord
  Should of his own accord
  Friendly himself invite,
  And say "I'll be your guest to-morrow night."
  How should we stir ourselves, call and command
  All hands to work! Let no man idle stand. [...]
  For 'tis a duteous thing
  To show all honour to an earthly king, [...]
  But at the coming of the King of Heaven
  All's set at six and seven:
  We wallow in our sin,
  Christ cannot find a chamber in the inn.
  We entertain him always like a stranger,
  And as at first still lodge him in the manger.
  • "Yet if His Majesty Our Sovereign Lord" (Christ Church MS. 736–8), first published by A. H. Bullen, Lyrics from the Song Books of the Elizabethan Age (1888)

External links

Wikipedia

Wikipedia has an article about:

Thomas Ford (composer)

• "Thomas Ford", Choral Public Domain Library (23 October 2022)
• "Texts to Art Songs and Choral Works by T. Ford", The LiederNet Archive (10 May 2023)
• "Ford, Thomas (1580–1648)", Representative Poetry Online (University of Toronto, 1996–2000)