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by William Smyth (1765 - 1849)

Sad and luckless was the season
Language: English 
Sad and luckless was the season,
When to court fair Ellen flew,
Flew from Love, and Peace, and Reason,
Worlds to see of promise new.
Back she comes - each grace is finer,
Ev'ry charm that crowds adore,
All the form divine, diviner -
But the heart is there no more.

Oh! 'tis gone, the temper even,
Careless nature, artless ease!
All that makes retirement heaven - 
Pleasing, without toil to please,
Hope no more, sweet lark, to cheer her,
Vain to her these echoing skies - 
Bloom non more, ye violets, near her,
Yours are charms she would not prize.

Ellen! Go where crowds admire thee,
Chariots rattle, torches blaze;
Here our dull content would tire thee,
Worthless be our village praise.
Go! Yet oh, that Thought's soft season
Ellen's heart might but restore!
Hard the task - whate'er the reason - 
Hard the task to love no more.

Text Authorship:

  • by William Smyth (1765 - 1849) [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), "Sad and luckless was the season", WoO. 153 (20 Irische Lieder mit Begleitung von Pianoforte, Violine und Violoncello) no. 6, G. 224 no. 6, published 1814/6 [ voice, piano, violin, violoncello ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Georg Pertz) , "Trüb und traurig schien die Sonne"


Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2005-01-12
Line count: 24
Word count: 144

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