Canst thou, O Cruel! (Michael Gray)

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• (Posted 2016-09-30)  CPDL #41285:   

Editor: Michael Gray (submitted 2016-09-30).   Score information: Letter (landscape), 8 pages, 239 kB   Copyright: CC BY NC ND

Edition notes: First in the ongoing collection of works for SAB & piano, "Book of Sonnets." See the website below for pieces and information.

General Information

Title: Canst thou, O Cruel!
Composer: Michael Gray
Lyricist: William Shakespeare

Number of voices: 3vv   Voicing: SAB

Genre: Secular, Partsong

Language: English
Instruments: Piano

{{Published}} is obsolete (code commented out), replaced with {{Pub}} for works and {{PubDatePlace}} for publications.

Description: First in the ongoing collection of works for SAB & piano, "Book of Sonnets." See the website below for pieces and information.

External websites: http://www.graymichael.com

Original text and translations

English text

Canst thou, O cruel! say I love thee not,
When I against myself with thee partake?
Do I not think on thee, when I forgot
Am of myself, all tyrant, for thy sake?
Who hateth thee that I do call my friend?
On whom frown'st thou that I do fawn upon?
Nay, if thou lour'st on me, do I not spend
revenge upon myself with present moan?
What merit do I in myself respect,
that is so proud thy service to despise,
when all my best doth worship thy defect,
Commanded by the motion of thine eyes?
  But, love, hate on, for now I know thy mind;
  Those that can see thou lov’st, and I am blind.

William Shakespeare (Sonnet CXLIX)