Drink to me only with thine eyes
Arranged by Howie Mitchell
Editor’s Note: The following note and lyrics appeared in Vol. 4 No. 4 (Autumn 1978). I condensed Howie Mitchell’s arrangement in TablEdit to include with this issue.
I play a three-stringed dulcimer and about two years ago arranged “Drink to me only with thine eyes” for my dulcimer. Within the past six months I have been experimenting with a four equal-distance string dulcimer and discovered that Howie Mitchell’s arrangement of “Drink to me only with thine eyes” for the four stringed dulcimer is beautiful. Both arrangements are printed here. Howie’s arrangement can also be found in his Folk Legacy book THE MOUNTAIN DULCIMER: How to Make And Play It – (After a Fashion). Howie probably needs no introduction. I find his playing, singing and gentle ways a joy.
Madeline MacNeil
Lyrics
Drink to me only with thine eyes,
And I will pledge with mine;
Or leave a kiss but in 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’ nectar sup,
I would not change for thine.
I sent thee late a rosy wreath,
Not so much honouring thee
As giving it a hope that here
It could not withered be;
But thou thereon didst only breathe,
And sent it back to me;
Since when it grows, and smells, I swear,
Not of itself but thee!
– Ben Jonson (1573-1637)
Free Music Archive
David Mitchell digitized and shared many of his father’s personal recordings online at the Free Music Archive (freemusicarchive.org), with the permission of the original artists or their descendents.
Listen to Howie Mitchell play “To Celia” (Drink the me only with thine eyes) with Ruth Meyer at bit.ly/drinktome1 and David Mitchell at bit.ly/drinktome2.
Other recordings include:
