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by William Smyth (1765 - 1849)

Sympathy
Language: English 
Why, Julia, say, that pensive mien?
I heard thy bosom sighing;
How quickly on thy cheek is seen
The blush, as quickly flying!
Why mark I, in thy soften'd eye,
Once with light spirit beaming,
A silent tear I know not why,
In trem'lous luster gleaming?

Come, tell me all thy bosom pain:
Perhaps some faithless lover?
Nay, droop not thus, the rose with rain
May sink, yet still recover.
O Julia! My words recall,
My thoughts too rud'ly guide me;
I see afresh thy sorrows fall,
They seem to plead and chide me.

I too, the secret would have known,
That makes existence languish,
Links [to]1 the soul on thought alone,
And that, a thought of anguish;
Forgive, forgive, an aching heart,
That vainly hoped to cheer thee
These tears may tell thee, while they start,
How all thy griefs endear thee!

View original text (without footnotes)
1 or possibly "for" [suggested by a correspondent after hearing a recording]

Text Authorship:

  • by William Smyth (1765 - 1849), "Sympathy" [author's text not yet checked 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 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827), "Sympathy", op. 108 (25 schottische Lieder mit Begleitung von Pianoforte, Violine und Violoncello) no. 10 (1815) [ voice, violin, violoncello, piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • GER German (Deutsch) (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist) , "Sympathie"


Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2004-08-18
Line count: 24
Word count: 144

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