by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 - 1822)
Translation by Jaroslav Vrchlický (1853 - 1912)
Orphan Hours, the Year is dead
Language: English
Orphan Hours, the Year is dead, Come and sigh, come and weep! Merry Hours, smile instead, For the Year is but asleep. See, it smiles as it is sleeping, Mocking your untimely weeping. As an earthquake rocks a corse In its coffin in the clay, So White Winter, that rough nurse, Rocks the death-cold Year to-day; Solemn Hours! wail aloud For your mother in her shroud. As the wild air stirs and sways The tree-swung cradle of a child, So the breath of these rude days Rocks the Year:--be calm and mild, Trembling Hours, she will arise With new love within her eyes. January gray is here, Like a sexton by her grave; February bears the bier, March with grief doth howl and rave, And April weeps--but, O ye Hours! Follow with May's fairest flowers.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 - 1822), "Dirge for the Year", written 1821, appears in Posthumous Poems, first published 1824 [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):
- by George Benjamin Arnold , "Orphan hours, the year is dead", published 1859 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Vrchlický) , "Pohrobní zpěv starého roku", Prague, J. Otto, first published 1901
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2005-01-27
Line count: 24
Word count: 135
Pohrobní zpěv starého roku
Language: Czech (Čeština)  after the English
Hodiny siré, umřel již rok ó pojďte, vzdychejte, lkejte! Hodiny plesné, ve snách a skok, neb rok jen usnul, se dejte! Ó vizte, směje se v spaní na vaše předčasné lkání. Neb jako mrtvolu zemětřes kolébá v rakvi z hlíny, tak Zima, ta drsná kojná, dnes rok kolébá chladný a siný. Hodiny slavné, ať zní pláč váš nad Matkou ukrytou ve rubáš. Jak divý vítr kolébá v snech na straně děťátko vlídně, tak větru vati v těchto drsných dnech rok hýčká. — Vyčkejte klidně Hodiny chvějné, on vstane pak a nová láska zjasní mu zrak. Jak hrobník Leden tu šedivý u jeho mohyly stojí, nes’ máry sem Únor horlivý, štká Březen v zoufalém boji, lká Duben, za ním Hodiny spějte, nejkrasší Máje květy sem dejte!
Confirmed with SHELLEY, P. B. Výbor lyriky, translated by Jaroslav Vrchlický, Praha: J. Otto, 1901, pages 101-102.
Authorship:
- by Jaroslav Vrchlický (1853 - 1912), "Pohrobní zpěv starého roku", Prague, J. Otto, first published 1901 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 - 1822), "Dirge for the Year", written 1821, appears in Posthumous Poems, first published 1824
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 ]
Researcher for this page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-07-26
Line count: 24
Word count: 125