Sister! since I met thee last, O'er thy brow a change hath past, In the softness of thine eyes, Deep and still a shadow lies; From thy voice there thrills a tone, Never to thy childhood known; Thro' thy soul a storm hath moved, —Gentle sister, thou hast loved! Yes! thy varying cheek hath caught Hues too bright from troubled thought; Far along the wandering stream, Thou art followed by a dream; In the woods and vallies lone Music haunts thee not thine own: Wherefore fall thy tears like rain? Sister, thou hast loved in vain! Tail me not the tale, my flower! On my bosom pour that shower! Tell me not of kind thoughts wasted; Tell me not of young hopes blasted; Wring not forth one burning word, Let thy heart no more be stirred! Home alone can give thee rest. — Weep, sweet sister, on my breast!
Confirmed with The New Monthly Magazine, Volume 31, 1831.
Authorship:
- by Felicia Dorothea Hemans (1793 - 1835), "The Sisters" [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):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Felicia Dorothea Hemans (1793 - 1835) , "Seit ich dich zuletzt gesehen", appears in Das Buch der Liebe, first published 1889 ; composed by Alexander Winterberger.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810 - 1876) , "Die Schwestern" ; composed by Halfdan Kjerulf.
- Also set in Swedish (Svenska), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Halfdan Kjerulf.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2023-06-12
Line count: 24
Word count: 149
Seit ich dich zuletzt gesehn, Schwester, was ist dir geschehn? Tief in deinem Auge liegt Schwermuth, die mein Herz nicht trügt. Wenn du sprichst -- o, welch ein Ton! Deine Kindheit ist entflohn. Sturm hat deine Brust getrübt ; Schwester, ja, du hast geliebt. Deiner Wangen Wechselgluth Kündet nicht ein Herz, das ruht. Wenn du gehst den Strom entlang, Folgt ein Traum dir, schwer und bang. In dem Thal und in dem Hain Hörst du Lieder, die nicht dein. Warum weinst du, bleich, gebückt? Ach, die Lieb' hat dich geknickt! Sag' mir nicht, wie Alles kam; An mein Herz wirf deinen Gram. Nichts von Träumen, die geflüchtet! Nichts von Hoffen, das vernichtet! Schweig', o schweig' von deinem Schmerz; Lull' es ein, dein armes Herz! Frieden such' im Vaterhaus! Wein' an meiner Brust dich aus!
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Ferdinand Freiligrath's Sämmtliche Werke: Vollständige Original Ausgabe. Vierter Band, New-York, Verlag von Friedrich Gerhard, 1858, pages 67-68, in Aus neueren englischen Dichtern.
Authorship:
- Singable translation by Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810 - 1876), "Die Schwestern" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Felicia Dorothea Hemans (1793 - 1835), "The Sisters"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Halfdan Kjerulf (1815 - 1868), "Die Schwester", op. 25 (4 Sånger) no. 1 (1856-1863), published 1871 [ voice and piano ], also set in Swedish (Svenska) [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2023-06-12
Line count: 24
Word count: 133