I give thee all -- I can no more -- Tho' poor the offering be; My heart and lute are all the store That I can bring to thee. A lute whose gentle song reveals The soul of love full well; And, better far, a heart that feels Much more than lute could tell. Tho' love and song may fail, alas! To keep life's clouds away, At least 'twill make them lighter pass, Or gild them if they stay. And even if Care at moments flings A discord o'er life's happy strain, Let Love but gently touch the strings, 'Twill all be sweet again!
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852), "My heart and lute" [author's text checked 1 time 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 Henry Rowley Bishop (1785 - 1855), "My heart and lute" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Frederick Brandeis (1835 - 1899), "My heart and lute", published 1899 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur Trickett , "I give thee all", published 1902 [ voice and piano ], in Vocalist (June) [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Gisbert, Freiherr von Vincke (1813 - 1892) , "Herz und Laute", appears in Rose und Distel, Poesien aus England und Schottland, in Drittes Buch ; composed by Joachim Raff, Wilhelm Heinrich Riehl, Georg Vierling, Nicolai von Wilm.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Christian Reinhold (1813 - 1856) ; composed by Heinrich Friedrich von Saint-Julien.
- Also set in Norwegian (Bokmål), adapted by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Halfdan Kjerulf.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-10-19
Line count: 16
Word count: 102
Dir geb' ich, ach, es ist nicht viel, was mein ist, all mein Licht, dies Herz und dieses Saitenspiel; mehr, ach, mehr hab' ich nicht! Ein Saitespiel, des süßer Klang die ganze Seele zeigt, und, o, ein Herz, das liebesbang ein schön'res Lied verschweigt. Kann Lieb' und Sang verbannen nie des Lebes Wolken ganz, vorbei doch leichter gehen sie, und steh'n sie, ist's in Glanz. Wenn durch des Lebens Harfe reißt der Sorge Misston roh, spielt Liebe d'rauf, der zarte Geist, klingt alles wieder froh.
H. von Saint-Julien sets stanza 1 (lines 1-8, 1-4), 2, 1 (lines 1-4)
Text Authorship:
Based on:
- a text in English by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852), "My heart and lute"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Heinrich Friedrich von Saint-Julien (1801 - 1844), "Mein Herz und mein Saitenspiel", op. 7 no. 1, stanza 1 (lines 1-8,1-4), 2, 1 (lines 1-4), from Lyrische Gedichte, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2026-08-20
Line count: 16
Word count: 85