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A poet sang, so light of heart was he, A song that thrilled with joy in ev'ry word: It quiver'd with ecstatic melody; It laughed as sunshine laughs upon the sea; It caught a measure from each lilting bird; But, though the song rang out exultantly, The world pass'd by, with heavy step and loud, None heeding, save that, parted from the crowd, Two lovers heard. There fell a day when sudden sorrow smote The poet's life. Unheralded it came, Blotting the sun-touch'd page whereon he wrote His golden song. Ah! then, from all remote, He sang the grief that had nor hope nor name In God's ear only; but one sobbing note Reached the world's heart, and swiftly, in the wake Of bitterness and passionate heart-break, There follow'd fame.
Text Authorship:
- by Sophie Jewett (1861 - 1909), as Ellen Burroughs [author's text not yet checked 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 Edward Elgar, Sir (1857 - 1934), "The Poet's Life", 1892, published 1907, first performed 1897 [ voice and piano ], from Seven Lieder of Edward Elgar, no. 4, note: first published separately in 1892, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Ed. Sachs ; composed by Edward Elgar, Sir.
- 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):
- SPA Spanish (Español) (José Miguel Llata) , "La vida de poeta", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 130
Un poeta cantaba, con el corazón alegre, una canción que llenaba de alegría con cada palabra; estremecía con melodía extasiada; reía como el sol ríe sobre el mar; tomaba un verso de cada pájaro cantarín. Pero, aunque la canción seguía exultante, el mundo pasaba de largo con ruidoso y pesado paso, sin percatarse de ello, excepto dos amantes apartados de la multitud, que la escucharon. Llegó un día en que una pena repentina golpeó la vida del poeta. Llegó sin anunciarse. borrando la página tocada por el sol donde había escrito su dorada canción. ¡Ah!, entonces desde lo más recóndito cantó la pena sin nombre ni esperanza, solo para los oídos de Dios. Pero una triste nota alcanzó el corazón del mundo, y con celeridad, al despertar amargura y apasionado romper de corazones, le trajo la fama.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to Spanish (Español) copyright © 2020 by José Miguel Llata, (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.
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Based on:
- a text in English by Sophie Jewett (1861 - 1909), as Ellen Burroughs
This text was added to the website: 2020-10-05
Line count: 18
Word count: 137