Hush, Hush! Not a Word / Sighing Softly to the River Lyrics – Pirates of Penzance Cast

Hush, Hush! Not a Word / Sighing Softly to the River Text

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Frederic.
Hush, hush! not a word; I see a light inside!
The Major-General comes, so quickly hide!

Pirates.
Yes, yes, the Major-General comes!

Police.
Yes, yes, the Major-General comes!

General.
(entering in dressing-gown, carrying a light)
Yes, yes, the Major-General comes!

Tormented with the anguish dread
Of falsehood unatoned,
I lay upon my sleepless bed,
And tossed and turned and groaned.
The man who finds his conscience ache
No peace at all enjoys;
And as I lay in bed awake,
I thought I heard a noise.

Chorus.
He thought he heard a noise - ha! ha!

General.
No, all is still
In dale, on hill;
My mind is set at ease -
So still the scene,
It must have been
The sighing of the breeze.

General.
Sighing softly to the river
Comes the loving breeze,
Setting nature all a-quiver,
Rustling through the trees.
Chorus.
Through the trees.

And the brook, in rippling measure,
Laughs for very love,
While the poplars, in their pleasure,
Wave their arms above.

Chorus.
Yes, the trees, for very love,
Wave their leafy arms above.

General & Chorus.
River, river, little river,
May thy loving prosper ever!
Heaven speed thee, poplar tree,
May thy wooing happy be.
Heaven speed thee, poplar tree,
May thy wooing happy be.

General.
Yet, the breeze is but a rover,
When he wings away,
Brook and poplar mourn a lover
Sighing, "Well-a-day!"

Chorus.
Well-a-day!

General.
Ah! the doing and undoing,
That the rogue could tell!
When the breeze is out a-wooing,
Who can woo so well?

Chorus.
Shocking tales the rogue could tell,
Nobody can woo so well.

General & Chorus.
Pretty brook, thy dream is over,
For thy love is but a rover;
Sad the lot of poplar trees,
Courted by a fickle breeze,
Sad the lot of poplar trees,
Courted by a fickle breeze!