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Avenging and bright fall the swift sword of Erin On him who the brave sons of Usna betrayed! -- For [every fond eye he hath]1 waken'd a tear in, A drop from his heart-wounds shall weep o'er her blade. By the red cloud which hung over [Conor's]2 dark dwelling, When Ulad's three champions lay sleeping in gore -- By the billows of war, which so often, high swelling, Have wafted these heroes to victory's shore -- We swear to avenge them! -- no joy shall be tasted, The harp shall be silent, the maiden unwed, Our halls shall be mute, and our fields shall lie wasted, Till vengeance be wreak'd on the murderer's head. Yes, monarch! though sweet are our home recollections, Though sweet are [the]3 tears that from tenderness fall; Though sweet are our friendships, our [hopes, our]4 affections, Revenge on a tyrant is sweetest of all!
1 Britten: "ev'ry fond eye which he"
2 Britten: "Conner's"
3 Britten: "our"
4 Britten: "hopes and"
Text Authorship:
- by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852), "Avenging and bright", appears in Irish Melodies [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 (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Avenging and bright" [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Venjadora i brillant", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Vengeresse et claire", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 148
Venjadora i brillant cau veloç l’espasa d’Erin damunt el qui va trair els valents fills d’Usna! – Per a cada amorós ull on ell ha fet vessar una llàgrima, una gota de les ferides del seu cor plorarà damunt la seva fulla. Per el núvol vermell que plana damunt l’obscura mansió de Conner, quan els tres paladins d’Ulad jeien dormint en la seva sang – per les ones de guerra que tan sovint, en la seva gran creixença, han empès aquests herois a les platges de la victòria – Hem jurat de venjar-los! – Cap joia serà assaborida, l’arpa restarà silent, les donzelles fadrines, mudes les nostres sales i erms els nostres camps, fins que caigui la venjança al cap de l’assassí. Sí, monarca! Per més dolç que sigui el record de la nostra llar, per més dolces que siguin les llàgrimes que vessa la tendresa, per més dolces que siguin les nostres amistats, les esperances i afectes, la venjança a un tirà és la cosa més dolça de totes.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2024 by Salvador Pila, (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 Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852), "Avenging and bright", appears in Irish Melodies
This text was added to the website: 2024-06-08
Line count: 16
Word count: 170
