What is a day, what is a yeere?
Text by Thomas Campion
Music by Philip Rosseter


What is a day, what is a yeere?
    Of vaine delight and pleasure?
Like to a dreame it endlesse dies,
    And from vs like a vapour flies :
And this is all the fruit that we finde,
    Which glorie in worldly treasure.

He that will hope for true delight,
    With vertue must be graced ;
Sweete follie yeelds a bitter tast,
    Which euer will appeare at last :
But if we still in vertue delight,
    Our soules are in heauen placed.

Franciscus Gysbrechts. Vanitas
Franciscus Gysbrechts. Vanitas. c.1650?


Source:
Campion, Thomas. Campion's Works. Percival Vivian, Ed.
Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1909. 28.

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