by Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885)
Translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Be Like the Bird
Language: English  after the French (Français)
Be like the bird That pausing in her flight Awhile on boughs too slight, Feels them give way Beneath her and sings, Knowing she hath wings.
Text Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [an adaptation] [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885), no title, written 1834, appears in Les Chants du Crépuscule, in 33. Dans l’église de *** , no. 6
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Abbie Betinis (b. 1980), "Be Like the Bird", first performed 2009 [ voices ]
Score: Scribd [external link]
Publisher: Abbie Betinis [external link]  [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Theophilus Julius Henry Marzials (1850 - 1920) ; composed by Arthur Goring Thomas.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
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Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2026-10-13
Line count: 6
Word count: 26
