by Samuel Rogers (1763 - 1855)
Translation Singable translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
She was good
Language: English
Oh! she was good as she was fair. None -- none on earth above her! As pure in thought as angels are, To know her was to love her. When little, and her eyes, her voice, Her every gesture said, "rejoice," Her coming was a gladness; And, as she grew, her modest grace, Her down-cast look 'twas heaven to trace, When, shading with her hand her face She half inclined to sadness. Her voice, whate'er she said, enchanted; Like music to the heart it went. And her dark eyes -- how eloquent! Ask what [they]1 would, 'twas granted. Her father loved her as his fame; -- And Bayard's self had done the same!
M. Balfe sets lines 1-11, 1-4, 12-17, 1-4
1 Balfe: "she"
Text Authorship:
- by Samuel Rogers (1763 - 1855), note: this is an excerpt from a long poem called "Jacqueline"
[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 Michael William Balfe (1808 - 1870), "She was good", lines 1-11,1-4,12-17,1-4 [ vocal duet for soprano and contralto with piano ], also set in Italian (Italiano), 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 Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Michael William Balfe.
- Also set in Italian (Italiano), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Michael William Balfe.
Researcher for this page: Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2025-12-02
Line count: 17
Word count: 111
Sì buona fù
Language: Italian (Italiano) after the English
Sì buona fù, di schietto cor, restò l'istessa ognora. Spirò suo bel sembiante ardor, chi vide lei, l'adora. Brillaro già sue dolci stelle ovunque in primo fior d'età, parlando spiegossi in frasi belle e ognun provò felicità. Nel scherzo simile alla rosa con qualche spina ascosa, nel duol graziosa ancora. Sua supplica fù'un vero incanto, qual melodioso suono al cor, tutto che vuol le riesce ancor, verun resiste al di lei pianto. Felice è il padre! Chi non è? l'adoria istesso un rè!
Note for line 4: in the repetition, this line becomes: "chi mai la vide adora"
Text Authorship:
- Singable translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Samuel Rogers (1763 - 1855), note: this is an excerpt from a long poem called "Jacqueline"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Michael William Balfe (1808 - 1870), "Sì buona fù" [ vocal duet for soprano and contralto with piano ], also set in English, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2025-12-02
Line count: 17
Word count: 83