by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861)
Say over again, and yet once over again
Language: English
Say over again, and yet once over again, That thou dost love me. Though the word repeated Should seem “a cuckoo-song,” as thou dost treat it, Remember, never to the hill or plain, Valley and wood, without her cuckoo-strain Comes the fresh Spring in all her green completed. Belovèd, I, amid the darkness greeted By a doubtful spirit-voice, in that doubt’s pain Cry, “Speak once more—thou lovest!” Who can fear Too many stars, though each in heaven shall roll, Too many flowers, though each shall crown the year? Say thou dost love me, love me, love me — toll The silver iterance! — only minding, Dear, To love me also in silence with thy soul.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with all available footnotesConfirmed with English Poetry II: From Collins to Fitzgerald, Vol. XLI. The Harvard Classics. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1909–14; Bartleby.com, 2001. www.bartleby.com/41/598.htm
Text Authorship:
- by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), no title, appears in Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 21, first published 1847 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by William Henry Bell (1873 - 1946), "Say over again" [ voice and piano ], from Three songs: words from "Sonnets from the Portuguese" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Lisa Bielawa (b. 1968), "Songs from Ort", 2014, published 2020 [ women's chorus ], [New York] : Lisa Bielawa [sung text not yet checked]
- by James Arthur Bliss , ""Sonnet Twenty-One"", published 1919 [ high voice, piano ], note: portions of the sonnet not noted above have been omitted [sung text not yet checked]
- by Noble Cain (1896 - 1977), "Say Thou Lovest Me!", published 1935 [ SSAATTBB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Celius Dougherty (1902 - 1986), "Say over again, and yet once over again", 1975 [ soprano, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eleanor Everest Freer (1864 - 1942), "Say over again", published 1910 [ medium voice, piano ], from Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 21 [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Arthur Goldsworthy (1878 - 1966), "Say over again, and yet once over again", published 1932 [ SSA chorus and piano ], from How Do I Love Thee [sung text not yet checked]
- by Juliana Hall (b. 1958), "Say over", 2015 [ soprano and piano ], from How do I love thee? -- 5 songs for soprano and piano on sonnets by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by (Charles) Alfred de Kaiser (1872 - 1917), "A cuckoo song", published 1912 [ duet for soprano and tenor with piano ], from Seven Sonnets from the Portuguese [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles O'Neill (1882 - 1964), "Say Thou Dost Love Me", published 1940 [ SATB chorus a cappella? ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Lynn Steele (1951 - 2002), "Sonnet XXI" [ soprano and flute ], from Three Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Peter Tahourdin (1928 - 2009), "Say over again, and yet once over again", 1968, first performed 1970 [ speaker, alto, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 2 violins, viola, violoncello, tape ], from cantata Riders in Paradise [sung text not yet checked]
- by Lajos Vass (b. 1927), "Say Over Again", c1961 [ soprano, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Christian Hawkey (b. 1969) , no title, written 2012, appears in Sonne from ort, no. 21 ; composed by Lisa Bielawa.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926) , no title, written 1908, appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 21 ; composed by Felix Ming, Viktor Ullmann.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Uljana Wolf (b. 1979) , " XXI", written 2012, appears in Sonne from ort ; composed by Lisa Bielawa.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Christian Hawkey) , no title, written 2012, appears in Sonne from ort, no. 21
Researcher for this page: Lynn Steele
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 115