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When I consider every thing that grows Holds in perfection but a little moment, That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows Whereon the stars in secret influence comment; When I perceive that men as plants increase, Cheered and checked even by the self-same sky, Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease, And wear their brave state out of memory; Then the conceit of this inconstant stay Sets you most rich in youth before my sight, Where wasteful Time debateth with decay To change your day of youth to sullied night, And all in war with Time for love of you, As he takes from you, I engraft you new.
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Text Authorship:
- by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Sonnets, no. 15 [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 Rose Brandel , "When I consider every thing that grows", >>1950? [ mezzo-soprano and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Buller (1927 - 2004), "When I consider every thing that grows", 1984, first performed 1985 [ voice, flute, clarinet, string quartet, and harp ], from Of Three Shakespeare Sonnets, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Richard Simpson (1820 - 1876), "Sonnet XV", 1864-5 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert B. Whitcomb (b. 1921), "When I consider", 1978, first performed 1978 [ baritone and piano ], from Ode to Shakespeare [sung text not yet checked]
- by David Winkler , "Sonnet XV", 1981 [ soprano and piano ], from Five songs [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Japanese (日本語), a translation by Tsubouchi Shōyō (1859 - 1935) ; composed by Elliot Weisgarber.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
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Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo) , no title, appears in Sonnets de Shakespeare, no. 15, first published 1857
- FRE French (Français) (François Pierre Guillaume Guizot) , no title, appears in Œuvres Complètes de Shakspeare Volume VIII, in Sonnets, no. 15, first published 1863
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-10-12
Line count: 14
Word count: 111
Quando considero che tutto ciò che ha vita solo per un breve momento tocca la perfezione, e che questo vasto teatro è solo apparenza vuota su cui le stelle tramano con influenze arcane; Quando poi vedo l'uomo a una pianta somigliare, sotto uno stesso cielo crescere favorito e avversato, fiero in gioventù vigorosa, poi all'apice sfiorire e perdere memoria del suo tempo più lieto. Allora il pensiero di questa precaria esistenza, fa apparire ai miei occhi te, più ricco di giovinezza, in quel momento in cui il Tempo gareggia con la Decadenza per mutare i tuoi freschi giorni in una notte sozza, e, per amore tuo, in aspra lotta col Tempo, quello che lui ti ruba, io nuovamente ti rendo.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2010 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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 William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Sonnets, no. 15
This text was added to the website: 2010-03-25
Line count: 14
Word count: 120