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by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892)

And in those days she made a little song
NOTE: the footnotes have been removed from this text; return to general view
Language: English 
Our translations:  DUT FRI
And in those days she made a little song,
And called her song "The Song of Love and Death,"
And sang it: sweetly could she make and sing.

  Sweet is true love tho' giv'n in vain, in vain;
  And sweet is death that puts an end to pain:
  I know not which is sweeter, no, not I.

  Love, art thou sweet? then bitter death must be:
  Love, thou art bitter; sweet is death to me.
  O Love, if death be sweeter, let me die.

  Sweet love, that seems not made to fade away,
  Sweet death, that seems to make us loveless clay,
  I know not which is sweeter, no, not I.

  I fain would follow love, if that could be;
  I needs must follow death, who calls for me;
  Call and I follow, I follow! let me die.

Available sung texts:   ← What is this?

•   R. Walthew 

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View text with all available footnotes

Note: Many of the settings listed below probably use only the song itself, i.e., stanzas 2-5; Musical Settings of Early and Mid-Victorian Literature indicates that Papini and Mrs. Phillips include the first stanza as well in their settings.


Text Authorship:

  • by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892), "The song of Love and Death", appears in Idylls of the King, Elaine's song in "Elaine", first published 1859 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

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Researcher for this page: Peter Brixius

This text was added to the website: 2009-01-07
Line count: 15
Word count: 139

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