Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
If you wish to reprint translations, please use the Reprint Basket (upper right hand corner).
Reminder: You must always use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
I sing of a maiden that is makèles: King of all kings to her son she ches. He came al so stille there his moder was, As dew in Aprille that falleth on the grass. He came al so stille to his moder bour, As dew in Aprille that falleth on the flour. He came al so stille there his moder lay, As dew in Aprille that falleth on the spray. Moder and mayden was never none but she; Well may such a lady Goddes moder be.
About the headline (FAQ)
Glossarymakèles = matchless
ches = chose
bour = bower
flour = flower
Text Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Middle English by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , first published c1400
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "As dew in Aprille", op. 28 no. 5 (1942) [ treble chorus, solo voices, and harp ], from A Ceremony of Carols, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "I Sing Of A Maiden", op. 645 (1963) [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "I Sing Of A Maiden", op. 664 (1965) [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Comme la rosée en avril", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Wie Tau im April", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Tom White
This text was added to the website: 2007-10-01
Line count: 20
Word count: 87
Ich sing von der Jungfrau einmaliger Art, die Mutter des Himmelskönigs ward. Bei seiner Mutter erschien er so still wie ein Tau auf den Auen im April. In der Mutter Schoß erschien er so still wie ein Tau auf der Blume im April. In Mutters Kammer erschien er so still wie ein Tau auf den Zweig fällt im April. Mutter und Jungfrau gebührte ihr allein: Solch ein Frau kann wohl Gottes Mutter sein.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2015 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in English by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist
Based on:
- a text in Middle English by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , first published c1400
This text was added to the website: 2015-07-26
Line count: 20
Word count: 73