by Alexander Pope (1688 - 1744)
Music the fiercest grief can charm
Language: English
Music the fiercest grief can charm, And Fate's severest rage disarm: Music can soften pain to ease, And make despair and madness please: Our joys below it can improve, And antedate the bliss above. This the divine Cecilia found, And to her Maker's praise confin'd the sound. When the full organ joins the tuneful choir, Th'immortal pow'rs incline their ear; Borne on the swelling notes our souls aspire, While solemn airs improve the sacred fire; And angels lean from heav'n to hear. Of Orpheus now no more let poets tell, To bright Cecilia greater pow'r is giv'n; His numbers raised a shade from hell, Hers lift the soul to heav'n.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Alexander Pope (1688 - 1744), no title, appears in Ode on St. Cecilia's Day, no. 7, first published 1708 [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 Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, Sir (1848 - 1918), "Music the fiercest grief can charm", 1889 [ baritone, chorus, and orchestra ], from Ode to St. Cecelia's Day, no. 9 [ sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Luca Antonio Pagnini) , no title, written 1800, appears in Ode di Alessandro Pope in onore di Santa Cecilia, no. 7, first published 1806
Researcher for this page: John Fowler
This text was added to the website: 2009-09-04
Line count: 17
Word count: 111