White as lilies was her face
When she smiled she beguiled
Quitting faith with foul disgrace
Virtue service thus neglected
Heart with sorrow hath infected.

When I swore my heart my own
She disdained I complained;
Yet she left me overthrown
Careless of my bitter grieving
Ruthless bent to no relieving.

Vowes and oaths and faith assured
Contant ever changing never
Yet she could not be procured
To believe my pains exceeding
From her scant neglect proceeding.

Oh that Love should have the art
By surmises and disguises
To destroy a faithful heart
Or that wanton looking women
Should reward their friends as foemen.

All in vaine is Ladies love
Quickly choosed shortly loosed
For their pride is to remove
Out alas their looks first won us
And their pride hath straight undone us.

To thy selfe the sweetest faier
Thou hath wounded and confounded
Changles faith with soule dispaier
And my service hath envied
And my succours hath denied.

By thine error thou hast lost
Hart unfained truth unstained
And the swaine that loved most
More assured in love than many
More dispised in love than any

For my heart though set at naught
Since you will it spoil and kill it!
I will never change my thoughts
But grieve that Beauty e`er was born
And so I`ll live as one forlorn.

The Second Booke of Songs or Ayres (1600): ¹15 `White as lilies was her face`,  (Dowland)
From the record `Songs and Dances of the Renaissance` (Melody, 1979)
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