"The Self Banished" is a poem written by Edmund Waller in about 1645. It was set to music by the baroque composer John Blow in 1700.John Blow Amphion Angelicus, 1700, p.91
It is also one of the first songs written by the English composer Edward Elgar. Composed in 1875, specifically for "soprano or tenor", it was unpublished until recently.
Lyrics
Blow set stanzas 1 and 2. Elgar added a stanza beginning with his own spelling of "Absence".
THE SELF-BANISHED
It is not that I love you less Than when before your feet I lay: But to prevent the sad increase Of hopeless love, I keep away.
In vain! (alas!) for ev'ry thing Which I have known belong to you,Note belong not belongs. It is the subjunctive of the verb. Your form does to my fancy bring, And makes my old wounds bleed anew.
Who in the Spring from the new Sun Already has a fever got, Too late begins those shafts to shun, Which Phoebus through his veins has shot.
Too late he would the pain assuage, And to shadows thick he doth retire; About with him he bears the rage,Here Elgar substitutes "pain" for Waller's "rage" And in his tainted blood the fire.
[ is vain for ev'ry thing That I have known belong to you, Your form does to my fancy bring, And makes my old wounds bleed anew.]*This stanza was added by Elgar, with curious (mock-baroque?) spelling of "Absence"
But vow'd I have, and never must Your banish'd servant trouble you; For if I break, you may distrustHere Elgar puts "mistrust" for Waller's "distrust" The vow I made to love you, too.
Recordings Elgar: Complete Songs for Voice & Piano Amanda Roocroft (soprano), Reinild Mees (piano)
References
External links