Venice masks

Saturday 10 September 2011

Bethsabe's song - George Peele

Hot sun, cool fire, tempered with sweet air,
Black shade, fair nurse, shadow my white hair.
Shine, sun; burn, fire; breathe, air, and ease me;
Black shade, fair nurse, shroud me and please me.
Shadow, my sweet nurse, keep me from burning;
Make not my glad cause cause of mourning.
     Let not my beauty’s fire
     Inflame unstaid desire,
     Nor pierce any bright eye
     That wandereth lightly.

George Peele (1556–1596) England
Peele's David and Bethsabe was published posthumously - this poem comes from that collection

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