There be none of Beauty's daughters With a magic like thee; And like music on the waters Is thy sweet voice to me: When, as if its sound were causing The [charmèd]1 ocean's pausing, The waves lie still and gleaming, And the lull'd winds seem dreaming: And the midnight moon is weaving Her bright chain o'er the deep; Whose breast is gently heaving As an infant's asleep: So the spirit bows before thee, To listen and adore thee; With a full but soft emotion, Like the swell of Summer's ocean.
Three Poems of Byron
Song Cycle by Graeme Koehne
1. Stanzas for music  [sung text not yet checked]
Authorship:
- by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "Stanzas for music", appears in Poems, first published 1816
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Vrchlický) , "Sloky pro hudbu"
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Lau Kanen) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Alexis Paulin Pâris) , "Stances à mettre en musique"
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Fra tutte le più belle", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
1 Mendelssohn: "charm'd"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
2. To Woman  [sung text not yet checked]
Woman! experience might have told me, That all must love thee who behold thee: Surely experience might have taught Thy firmest promises are nought: But, placed in all thy charms before me, All I forget, but to adore thee. Oh memory! Thou choicest blessing When join'd with hope, when still possessing; But how much cursed by every lover When hope is fled and passion's over. Woman, that fair and fond deceiver, How throbs the pulse when first we view The eye that rolls in glossy blue, Or sparkles black, or mildly throws A beam from under hazel brows! How quick we credit every oath, And hear her plight the willing troth! Fondly we hope't will last for aye, When, lo! she changes in a day. This record will for ever stand, 'Woman, thy vows are traced in sand.'
Authorship:
- by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "To Woman"
Go to the single-text view
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]3. She walks in beauty  [sung text not yet checked]
She walks in beauty, like the night Of cloudless climes and starry skies; And all that's best of dark and bright Meet in her aspect and her eyes: Thus mellow'd to that tender light Which heaven to gaudy day denies. One shade the more, one ray the less, Had half impair'd the nameless grace Which waves in every raven tress, Or softly lightens o'er her face; Where thoughts serenely sweet express How pure, how dear their dwelling-place. And on that cheek, and o'er that brow, So soft, so calm, yet eloquent, The smiles that win, the tints that glow, But tell of days in goodness spent, A mind at peace with all below, A heart whose love is innocent.
Authorship:
- by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "She walks in beauty", appears in Hebrew Melodies, no. 1
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Alexis Paulin Pâris) , "Elle marche pareille en beauté", appears in Mélodies hébraïques, no. 1
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "In Schönheit geht sie", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Ella incede in bellezza", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission