| John Dryden (1631–1700). The Poems of John Dryden. 1913. | | | | Songs, Odes, and Lyrical Pieces | | A Song (“Go tell Amynta, gentle Swain”) |
| | 1 GO 1 tell Amynta, gentle Swain, | |
| I wou’d not die, nor dare complain, | |
| Thy tuneful Voice with numbers joyn, | |
| Thy words will more prevail than mine. | |
| To Souls oppress’d, and dumb with grief, | 5 |
| The Gods ordain this kind relief; | |
| That Musick shou’d in sounds convey | |
| What dying Lovers dare not say. | |
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2 A Sigh or Tear perhaps she’ll give, | |
| But love on pitty cannot live. | 10 |
| Tell her that Hearts for Hearts were made, | |
| And love with love is only paid. | |
| Tell her my pains so fast encrease, | |
| That soon they will be past redress; | |
| But ah! the Wretch, that speechless lyes, | 15 |
| Attends but Death to close his Eyes. | |
| | | Note 1. Text from the Miscellany Poems, 1685. Christie wrongly assigned the first edition to 1701. [back] | | |
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