The little Love-god lying once asleep,
Laid by his side his heart-inflaming brand,
Whilst many nymphs that vow'd chaste life to keep
Came tripping by; but in her maiden hand
The fairest votary took up that fire
Which many legions of true hearts had warm'd;
And so the general of hot desire
Was, sleeping, by a virgin hand disarm'd.
This brand she quenched in a cool well by,
Which from Love's fire took heat perpetual,
Growing a bath and healthful remedy,
For men diseas'd; but I, my mistress' thrall,
Came there for cure and this by that I prove,
Love's fire heats water, water cools not love.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Sonnets, no. 154 [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 Juriaan Andriessen (1925 - 1996), "The little love-god lying once asleep", from Thy black is fairest, 3 Shakespeare-sonnets, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895 - 1968), "Sonnet CLIV - The little Love-God", op. 125 (Shakespeare Sonnets), Heft 3 no. 1 (1945) [ SATB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Piet Ketting (1904 - 1984), "The little love-god", 1938 [ low voice and piano ], from Three Sonnets of Shakespeare, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Richard Simpson (1820 - 1876), "Sonnet CLIV", 1866 [ medium voice or high voice and piano ], first setting [sung text not yet checked]
- by Richard Simpson (1820 - 1876), "Sonnet CLIV", 1866 [ SSA chorus and piano ], partsong; second setting [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo) , no title, appears in Sonnets de Shakespeare, no. 154, first published 1857
- POL Polish (Polski) (Jan Kasprowicz) , "Sonet 154", appears in Z sonetów, no. 3, Warsaw, first published 1907
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 107
Pewnego razu zasnął bożek mały Z swoją płomienną pochodnią u boku: Nadbiegły nimfy, które ślubowały Czystość, i oto najpiękniejsza w tłoku Tych pięknych dziewic, wyciągnie mu z dłoni Żagwię, od której świat się wokrąg pali — Wódz żądz gorących pozostał bez broni! A nimfa, ogień zanurzywszy w fali, Wraz ją rozgrzewa i w kąpiele zmienia Uzdrawiające zimny zdrój: Przez wieki Zdążają k’niemu chore pokolenia, Lecz ja tu darmo przyszedłem po leki, Bo miłość wodę do waru pobudzi, Ale miłości woda nie ostudzi.
Confirmed with Poeci angielscy, translated by Jan Kasprowicz, Księgarnia H. Antenberga, Warszawa 1907, page 46-47.
Text Authorship:
- by Jan Kasprowicz (1860 - 1926), "Sonet 154", appears in Z sonetów, no. 3, Warsaw, first published 1907 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Sonnets, no. 154
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-08-16
Line count: 14
Word count: 82