Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Early in the day it was whispered that we should sail in a boat, only thou and I, and never a soul in the world would know of this our pilgrimage to no country and to no end. In that shoreless ocean, at thy silently listening smile my songs would swell in melodies, free as waves, free from all bondage of words. Is the time not come yet? Are there works still to do? Lo, the evening has come down upon the shore and in the fading light the seabirds come flying to their nests. Who knows when the chains will be off, and the boat, like the last glimmer of sunset, vanish into the night?
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 42, first published 1912 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 42 [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 Walter Arlen (1920 - 2023), "Early in the day" [ soprano and piano ], from Tellings of Beads: Five Last Songs, no. 2, confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Comolata Banerji (189? - 19??), "Early in the day", 1926 [ voice and piano ], from Song Offerings, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Iain Bell (b. 1980), "Sail Away", first performed 2017 [ soprano and piano ], from Away, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by David Leisner (b. 1958), "The Boat", 1991 [ soprano and guitar ], from Heaven's River, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Landon Ronald, Sir (1873 - 1938), "Early in the day it was whispered", 1920 [ high voice and piano ], from Four Song Offerings - 2nd series, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by André Gide (1869 - 1951) , no title, appears in Gitanjali (L'Offrande lyrique), no. 42, first published 1914 ; composed by Louis Durey, Henriette Puig-Roget.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- IRI Irish (Gaelic) [singable] (Gabriel Rosenstock) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-11-03
Line count: 17
Word count: 116
Il fut murmuré tôt le matin que nous devions naviguer sur un bateau, seuls toi et moi, et pas une âme au monde ne devrait apprendre notre pèlerinage vers nul pays et nulle fin. Sur cet océan sans rivage, devant ton sourire silencieux et attentif, mes chants mélodieux s'élèveraient, libres comme l'onde, libres de l'entrave des mots. Le temps n'est-il encore point venu ? Y a-t-il encore des tâches à accomplir ? Vois, le soir est tombé sur le rivage et dans la lumière qui s'estompe les oiseaux volent vers leurs nids. Qui sait quand les amarres seront larguées, et quand le bateau,comme la dernière lueur du soleil couchant, disparaîtra dans la nuit ?
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2014 by Pierre Mathé, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in English by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 42, first published 1912
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 42 [text unavailable]
This text was added to the website: 2014-06-29
Line count: 17
Word count: 111