by Katherine Harris Bradley (1846 - 1914), as Michael Field and by Edith Emma Cooper (1862 - 1913), as Michael Field
Thine elder that I am, thou must not...
Language: English
Thine elder that I am, thou must not cling To me, nor mournful for my love entreat : And yet, Alcaeus, as the sudden spring Is love, yea, and to veiled Demetia sweet. Sweeter than tone of harp, more gold than gold Is thy young voice to me ; yet, ah, the pain To learn I am beloved now I am old, Who, in my youth, loved, as thou must, in vain.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Michael Field, Long Ago, George Bell and Sons, 1889. The poem is preceded by the following epigraph: "Πόλυ πάκτιδος ἀδυμελεστέρα, χρύσω χρυσοτέρα·"
Text Authorship:
- by Katherine Harris Bradley (1846 - 1914), as Michael Field, no title, appears in Long Ago, first published 1889 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
- by Edith Emma Cooper (1862 - 1913), as Michael Field, no title, appears in Long Ago, first published 1889 [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 John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "Thine Elder That I Am", op. 345 (1952) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2023-04-28
Line count: 8
Word count: 70