Willow, Willow, Willow.
It is from the following stanzas that Shakspeare has taken his song of the Willow, in his Othello, act iv. sc. 3, though somewhat varied and applied by him to a female character. He makes Desdemona introduce it in this pathetic and affecting manner:--
My mother had a maid call'd Barbara:
She was in love; and he she lov'd prov'd mad,
And did forsake her. She had a song of -- Willow.
An old thing 'twas, but it express'd her fortune,
And she died singing it.
Ed. 1793, vol. xv. p. 613.
This is given from a black-letter copy in the Pepys Collection, thus entitled, "A Lovers Complaint, being forsaken of his Love. To a pleasant tune."
A POORE soule sat sighing under a sicamore tree;
O willow, willow, willow!
With his hand on his bosom, his head on his knee:
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garlànd.
He sigh'd in his singing, and after each grone,
Come willow, &c.
"I am dead to all pleasure, my true-love is gone;
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garlànd.
"My love she is turned; untrue she doth prove:
O willow, &c.
She renders me nothing but hate for my love.
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow, &c.
"O pitty me" (cried he), "ye lovers, each one;
O willow, &c.
Her heart's hard as marble; she rues not my mone.
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow, &c."
The cold streams ran by him, his eyes wept apace;
O willow, &c.
The salt tears fell from him, which drowned his face:
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow, &c.
The mute birds sate by him, made tame by his mones
O willow, &c.
The salt tears fell from him, which softened the stones.
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garland!
"Let nobody blame me, her scornes I do prove;
O willow, &c.
She was borne to be faire; I, to die for her love.
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow &c.
"O that beauty should harbour a heart that's so hard!
O willow, &c.
My true love rejecting without all regard.
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow, &c.
"Let love no more boast him in palace, or bower;
O willow, &c.
For women are trothles, and flote in an houre.
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow, &c.
"But what helps complaining? In vaine I complaine
O willow, &c.
I must patiently suffer her scorne and disdaine.
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow, &c.
"Come, all you forsaken, and sit down by me,
O willow, &c.
He that 'plaines of his false love, mine's falser than she.
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow, &c.
"The willow wreath weare I, since my love did fleet;
O willow, &c.
A garland for lovers forsaken most meete.
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garlànd!"
PART THE SECOND
"LOWE lay'd by my sorrow, begot by disdaine;
O willow, willow, willow!
Against her too cruell, still, still I complaine,
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garlànd!
"O love too injurious, to wound my poore heart!
O willow, &c.
To suffer the triumph, and joy in my smart:
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow, &c.
"O willow, willow, willow! the willow garlànd,
O willow, &c.
A sign of her falsenesse before me doth stand:
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow, &c.
"As here it doth bid to despair and to dye,
O willow, &c.
So hang it, friends, ore me in grave where I lye:
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garlànd.
"In grave where I rest mee, hang this to the view,
O willow, &c.
Of all that do knowe her, to blaze her untrue.
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow, &c.
"With these words engraven, as epitaph meet,
O willow, &c.
'Here lyes one, drank poyson for potion most sweet.'
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow, &c.
"Though she thus unkindly hath scorned my love,
O willow, &c.
And carelesly smiles at the sorrowes I prove;
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow, &c.
"I cannot against her unkindly exclaim,
O willow, &c.
Cause once well I loved her, and honoured her name:
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow, &c.
"The name of her sounded so sweete in mine eare,
O willow, &c.
It rays'd my heart lightly, the name of my deare;
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garlànd.
"As then 'twas my comfort, it now is my griefe;
O willow, &c.
It now brings me anguish; then brought me relief
O willow, &c.
Sing, O the greene willow, &c.
"Farewell, faire false hearted: plaints end with my breath!
O willow, willow, willow!
Thou dost loath me, I love thee, though cause of my death.
O willow, willow, willow!
O willow, willow, willow!
Sing, O the greene willow shall be my garlànd."
