by Chidiock Tichbourne (1558? - 1586)
Translation by Gisbert, Freiherr von Vincke (1813 - 1892)
My prime of youth is but a frost of...
Language: English
My prime of youth is but a frost of cares, My feast of joy is but a dish of pain, My crop of corn is but a field of tares, And all my good is but vain hope of gain; My life is fled, and yet I saw no sun; And now I live, and now my life is done. [My tale was heard, and yet it was not told; My fruit is fallen and yet my leaves are green; My youth is spent and yet I am not old; I saw the world and yet I was not seen; My thread is cut, and yet it was not spun; And now I live, and now my life is done.]1 I sought my death and found it in the womb, I looked for life and saw it was a shade, I trod the earth and knew it was my tomb, And now I die and now I was but made; My glass is full, and now my glass is run; And now I live, and yet my life is done.
J. Mundy sets stanzas 1-2
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View original text (without footnotes)1 Mundy:
The Spring is past, and yet it hath not sprung! The fruit is dead, and yet the leaves be green! My youth is gone, and yet I am but young! I saw the World and yet I was not seen! My thread is cut, and yet it is not spun! And now I live, and now my life is done.
Text Authorship:
- by Chidiock Tichbourne (1558? - 1586), "On the Eve of His Execution", subtitle: "Written the night before he was beheaded", written 1586 [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 Richard Rodney Bennett (1936 - 2012), "Written on the eve of execution", from Tenebrae, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Charles Gounod (1818 - 1893), "Chidiock Tichborne", subtitle: "Old Ballad", CG. 364 (1873) [ medium voice and piano ], London, Goddard & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Mundy (1550 - 1630), "My prime of youth is but a frost of cares", published 1594, stanzas 1-2, from Songs and Psalms, confirmed with Lyrics from the Song-Books of the Elizabethan Age, ed. by A. H. Bullen, London, John C. Nimmo, 1887, page 80 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Robert Still (1910 - 1971), "Awaiting Execution" [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) ; composed by Joachim Raff.
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: 181
Vor dem Gang zum Schaffot
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
Mein Jugendlenz ist nur ein Sorgenfrost, mein Freudenfest ist nur ein Leidpokal, mein Erntefleiß ist nur ein Feld voll Rost, und all mein Gut ist Irrlichschein zumal. Der Tag ging hin ich sah kein Licht der Sonnen, ich lebe noch mein Leben ist verronnen. Die Blüt' ist hin, doch kann sie nie zum Blüh'n, die Jugend schwand und doch, wie jung bin ich, die Frucht ist tot doch sind die Blätter grün, ich sah die Welt doch nimmer sah sie mich. Mein Faden reißt doch ward er nicht gesponnen, ich lebe noch mein Leben ist verronnen. Mein Wiegenlied ward mir zum Sterbesang, mein Lebensbild ein Schatten war's, mehr nicht, mein Erdengang lief meinem Grab entlang, nun kommt der Tod nun trat ich kaum an's Licht. Das Glas ist voll, mein Glas ein trockner Bronnen, ich lebe noch mein Leben ist zerronnen.
Text Authorship:
- by Gisbert, Freiherr von Vincke (1813 - 1892) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Chidiock Tichbourne (1558? - 1586), "On the Eve of His Execution", subtitle: "Written the night before he was beheaded", written 1586
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by (Joseph) Joachim Raff (1822 - 1882), "Vor dem Gang zum Schaffot", op. 172 no. 10 (1875), from Maria Stuart, ein Cyklus von Gesängen, no. 10. [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-16
Line count: 18
Word count: 141