Jonathan Battishill
 (1738 - 1801)

Oft, with wanton smiles and jeers
 (A.T.B.)
Full score (PDF), €0.00 for unlimited copies   Download this item
Printable cover page (PDF), €0.00 for unlimited copies   Download this item

If you have any problem obtaining a PDF, please see our help page. If that does not resolve the issue, please click here.
Page 1 of 4
Creative Commons Licence
This work, Battishill : Oft, with wanton smiles and jeers : scoreid 148552, as published by notAmos Performing Editions, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. All relevant attributions should state its URL as https://www.notamos.co.uk/detail.php?scoreid=148552. Permissions beyond the scope of this licence may be available at https://www.notamos.co.uk/index.php?sheet=about.
| Enquire about this score |
 | About Jonathan Battishill |
| Full Catalogue |
| About us | Help, privacy, cookies |
Pub. London, c.1775.
Lyrics: Anacreon (trans. Francis Fawkes)

Oft, with wanton smiles and jeers,
Women tell me I'm in years;
I, the mirror when I view,
Find alas! they tell me true,
Find my wrinkled forehead bare,
And regret my falling hair.
White and few, alas! I find,
All that time has left behind.

Hot my hairs, if thus they fall,
If but few or none at all,
Asking not, I'll never share
Fruitless knowledge, fruitless care.
This important truth I know,
If indeed in years I grow,
I must snatch what life can give;
Not to love is not to live.