Caterpillar on the wall, Whither, whither do you crawl? You know not, yourself, methinks, Strange and wandering little sphinx! I will tell you where to go, Underneath the winter snow In an old tree's secret hole You shall hide your little soul. There, with summer, you shall [sleep]1, Thence, with summer you shall leap, Wave your fairy wings on high, Sip the flowers and kiss the sky. Emblem worm of many [a]2 thing, So the [poet's]3 mind can spring Through the hush of brooding hours, Kiss the sky and sip the flowers.
Two songs
Song Cycle by Isaac Albéniz (1860 - 1909)
1. The caterpillar  [sung text checked 1 time]
Authorship:
- by Francis Money-Coutts, 5th Baron Latymer (1852 - 1923), "The caterpillar", appears in Musa Verticordia, first published 1904
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Jean-Pierre Granger) , "La chenille", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
1 Albéniz: "learn"
2 omitted by Albéniz
3 Albéniz: "joyous"
Researcher for this page: Jean-Pierre Granger
2. The Gifts of the Gods  [sung text checked 1 time]
Once with life and love enarmoured We besought the gods above; "Send us love and life!" we clamoured, And they sent us life and love. Soon they over-filled the measure; Soon we prayed them, "Grant us calm!" But they answered, "Pain is pleasure!1 "Crush from bitter herbs the balm! "Forms of beauty [ye]2 may fashion "From the anguish of the heart; "Only by the cross of passion "Can ye win the crown of Art."
Authorship:
- by Francis Money-Coutts, 5th Baron Latymer (1852 - 1923), "The Gifts of the Gods", appears in Poems, first published 1896
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Jean-Pierre Granger) , "Les cadeaux des dieux", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
1 Albéniz has an end-quote here.
2 Albéniz: "we"
Researcher for this page: Jean-Pierre Granger