by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872)
Translation by Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837 - 1909)
Love at sea
Language: English  after the French (Français)
We are in love's land to-day; Where shall we go? Love, shall we start or stay, Or sail or row? There 's many a wind and way, And never a May but May; We are in love's hand to-day; Where shall we go? Our landwind is the breath Of sorrows kiss'd to death And joys that were; Our ballast is a rose; Our way lies where God knows And love knows where. We are in love's hand to-day -- Our seamen are fledged Loves, Our masts are bills of doves, Our decks fine gold; Our ropes are dead maids' hair, Our stores are love-shafts fair And manifold. We are in love's land to-day -- Where shall we land you, sweet? On fields of strange men's feet, Or fields near home? Or where the fire-flowers blow, Or where the flowers of snow Or flowers of foam? We are in love's hand to-day -- Land me, she says, where love Shows but one shaft, one dove, One heart, one hand, -- A shore like that, my dear, Lies where no man will steer, No maiden land.
Note: the poem is followed by the indication "Imitated from Théophile Gautier"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Authorship:
- by Algernon Charles Swinburne (1837 - 1909), "Love at sea" [an adaptation] [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872), "Barcarolle", appears in La Comédie de la Mort, first published 1838
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Rutland Boughton (1878 - 1960), "Love at sea", 1907 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Norman Houston O'Neill (1875 - 1934), "Love at sea" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Percy Reeve (1855 - ?), "Love at sea", published 1886, Milan, Ricordi [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Arthur Warren ; composed by Adelaide Fredrika "Armorell" Cochran.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Peter Cornelius (1824 - 1874) , "Das unbekannte Land" ; composed by Hector Berlioz.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2013-03-18
Line count: 35
Word count: 180