by Hsü Kan (171 - 217)
Translation by Herbert Allen Giles (1845 - 1935)
O floating clouds that swim in heaven...
Language: English after the Chinese (中文)
O floating clouds that swim in heaven above Bear on your wings these words to him I love. . . . Alas, you float along nor heed my pain, And leave me here to love and long in vain! I see other dear ones to their homes return, And for his coming shall not I too yearn? Since my lord left--ah me, unhappy day!-- My mirror's dust has not been brushed away; My heart, like running water, knows no peace, But bleeds and bleeds forever without cease.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Herbert Allen Giles (1845 - 1935), "An absent husband" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Chinese (中文) by Hsü Kan (171 - 217) [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Granville Ransome Bantock, Sir (1868 - 1946), "Floating clouds", 1939, published 1941 [ voice and piano ], from Ten Songs from the Chinese, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2021-12-26
Line count: 10
Word count: 87