7a. Well may they laugh

From Belshazzar, HWV 61, Act I

Composer	George Frideric Handel
Key	d minor → G major
Meter	4/4

English text
Gobrias
Well may they laugh, from meagre famine safe,
In plenteous stores for more than twenty years;
From all assault secure in gates of brass,
And walls stupendous; in Euphrates’ depth
Yet more secure.
Cyrus
‘Tis that security
Shall aid me to their ruin. I tell thee, Gobrias,
I will revenge thy wrongs upon the head
Of this inhuman king.
Opera Stanford

About the text

• Author: Charles Jennens

Instrumentation

Issues

• Cyrus is written as soprano in the ed. but as mezzo-soprano on Wikipedia

Resources

• Full score: ed. Georg Friedrich Händels Werke
• Opera Stanford ›
• Scores at IMSLP ›
• Wikipedia ›

Similar instrumentation

• Recitativo: Se non era il tuo braccio
  Handel
• Recitativo: Seco Isaciomi volle
  Handel
• Recitative: Oh wound’rous youth!
  Handel