by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Translation by Nancy Pinkerton
Did'st thou but know
Language: English  after the French (Français)
Your slave am I at your command My very life is in your hand! Here at your feet all I surrender And only claim from those bright eyes One tender glance to bid me hope. Ah! did you know all my devotion Boundless as air and deep as ocean, How soon your heart would heal this pain, For love so true Needs love again Ah! if you knew! ah, if you knew! ah, if you knew how much I love you This constant heart is yours for aye, Then bid it live Or bid it die Take all my wealth, take all! Henceforth one thought alone be mine To serve my beauteous Queen divine This constant heart is yours for aye Then bid it live or bid it die! Ah! did you know all my devotion Boundless as air and deep as ocean, How soon your heart would heal this pain And give for love True love again. Ah! if you knew, ah! if you knew how much I love you!
Authorship:
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Michael William Balfe (1808 - 1870), "Did'st thou but know" [ voice and piano ], confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2023-11-27
Line count: 26
Word count: 171