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Since greybeards inform us that youth will decay, And pleasure's soft transports glide swiftly away: The song, and the dance, and the vine, and the fair, Shall banish all sorrow and shield us from care. Away with your proverbs, your morals, and rules, Your proctors, and doctors, and pedants, and schools: Let's seize the bright moments while yet in our prime, And fast by the forelock catch old father Time. Tho' spring's lovely blossoms delight us no more, Tho' summer forsake us, and autumn be o'er; To cheer us in winter, remembrance can bring The pleasures of autumn, and summer, and spring: So when fleeting seasons bring life's latest stage, To speak of youth's frolic shall gladden our age: Then seize the bright moments while yet in our prime, And fast by the forelock catch old father Time.
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827), "Since greybeards inform us that youth will decay", WoO. 153 (20 Irische Lieder mit Begleitung von Pianoforte, Violine und Violoncello) no. 4, G. 224 no. 4, published 1814/6 [ voice, piano, violin, violoncello ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Isabelle Cecchini) , "Les vieillards nous le disent", copyright © 2003, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Georg Pertz) , "Die Graubärte lehren, daß Jugend vergeht"
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Se un vecchio barbogio solenne ci informa", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2005-01-12
Line count: 16
Word count: 138
Se un vecchio barbogio solenne ci informa Che passan le gioie e che niente ritorna, Allora con danze e vino e bellezza Cacciamo gli affanni e fuggiamo tristezza. Basta proverbi, e morale, e doveri, lezioni pedanti, e censori, e dottori, Lasciate che io colga un felice momento E acciuffi per poco il vecchio padre Tempo. E se primavera non più ci fa lieti, se estate e autunno ormai son passati, la dolce memoria l'inverno ha scaldato pensando ai piaceri del tempo passato; e quando, arrivati alla estrema stagione, ci danno i ricordi una lieta emozione, allora che io colga il felice momento e acciuffi per poco il vecchio padre Tempo.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2005 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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 T. Toms
This text was added to the website: 2005-01-19
Line count: 16
Word count: 110