This edition was prepared by Jonathan Goodliffe — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
Drink to me only with thine eyes
Staff Notation • Secular, Arias
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Drink to me only with thine eyes by Elizabeth Turner — Lyrics
Drink to me only with thine eyes,
And I will pledge with mine;
Or leave a kiss within the cup
And I'll not ask for wine.
The thirst that from the soul doth rise
Doth ask a drink divine;
But might I of Jove's nectar sup,
I would not change for thine.
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About Drink to me only with thine eyes
Elizabeth Turner's setting of the well-known words Drink to me only with thine eyes is a solo aria for high voice. The text, famously by Ben Jonson, expresses a profound and absolute devotion, where the singer finds more intoxicating than any wine the shared glance of their beloved, or even a kiss left in a cup. The singer's soul thirsts for a divine drink, yet they would not exchange the beloved's presence for nectar. The second verse continues this theme, with a rose wreath sent to the beloved returning with the scent of the beloved, a testament to their potent presence. This is a piece of exquisite lyrical expression, setting the words with a delicate and intimate musical line.
