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Music files
(Posted 2024-03-12) CPDL #79501 :
Editor: David Anderson (submitted 2024-03-12 ) . Score information: Letter, 8 pages, 504 kB Copyright: Personal
Edition notes:
(Posted 2017-11-19) CPDL #47511 :
Editor: Andrew Sims (submitted 2017-11-19 ) . Score information: A4, 2 pages, 101 kB Copyright: CPDL
Edition notes:
(Posted 2013-01-06) CPDL #27979 : (Sibelius 7)
Editor: Ian Haslam (submitted 2013-01-06 ) . Score information: A4, 3 pages, 79 kB Copyright: CPDL
Edition notes:
General Information
Title: Shall we go dance?
Composer: Charles Villiers Stanford
Lyricist: Nicholas Breton
Number of voices: 4vv Voicing: SATB
Genre: Secular , Partsong
Language: English
Instruments: A cappella
First published: 1897 Boosey & Co.
Description: Six Elizabethan Pastorals [set 3], Opus 67, No. 3
(A REPORT-SONG IN A DREAM)
(between a shepherd and his nymph)
External websites:
Original text and translations
English text
Shall we go dance the hay, the hay?
Never pipe could ever play
better shepherd's roundelay,
Fa la la la la la la la!
Shall we go sing the song, the song?
Never love did ever wrong,
fair maids, hold hands all along,
Fa la la la la la la la!
Shall we go learn to woo, to woo,
Never thought came better too,
better deed could ever do.
Fa la la la la la la la!
Shall we go learn to kiss, to kiss?
Never heart could ever miss
comfort where true meaning is.
Fa la la la la la la la!
Thus at base they run,
when the sport was scarce begun;
but I wak'd, and all was done,
Fa la la la la la la la!
German translation
Woll’n wir den Reigen tanzen gehn?
Nie war eine Flöte zu spielen imstande
Besser der Hirten Rundgesang.
Woll’n wir das Lied nun singen gehn?
Nie hat Liebe je Unrecht getan.
Schöne Mädchen, haltet Händchen die ganze Zeit.
Woll’n wir das Anbändeln lernen gehn?
Nie kam der Gedanke je in den Sinn,
Bessere Tätigkeit könnte besser passen.
Woll’n wir das Küssen lernen gehn?
Nie könnte ein Herz jemals entbehren
Trost, wo treue Gesinnung herrscht.
So beim Fangspiel rennen sie.
Kaum dass die Ergötzung begonnen war,
Da wachte ich auf – und alles war vorbei.