This plea of a lover to the beloved to stay, and quench his desires with

love, show off Campion's technical facility as a poet and setter of poetry

as much as they do his musical gifts. The rhythms of the text frequently

shift, requiring the melodic line to change as well without disrupting the

flow of the music. As if to show off his abilities, Campion even adds some

unexpected intervals to the vocal line, as if to emphasize this, and wrote

the accompaniment as a counterpoint, rather than merely a chordal background.

The lover begs the beloved to stay in the "silent, grovie shade" so that

they may continue to make love, but since the grove is not safe for their

covert love, she leaves, nonetheless. The minor key and fairly slow

tempo indicate from the beginning that this is most likely to be the

outcome.

© All Music Guide