Müder Glanz der Sonne! Blasses Himmelblau! Von verklungner Wonne Träumet still die Au. An der letzten Rose Löset lebenssatt Sich das letzte lose, Bleiche Blumenblatt. Goldenes Entfärben Schleicht sich durch den Hain; Auch Vergehn'n und Sterben Däucht mir süß zu sein.
Five songs , opus 5
by Ethelbert Woodbridge Nevin (1862 - 1901)
1. Herbstgefühl [sung text not yet checked]
Authorship:
- by Karl Friedrich von Gerok (1815 - 1890), "Herbstgefühl", subtitle: "1. Kor. 7, 31 Das Wesen dieser Welt vergehet.", written 1860, appears in Palmblätter, in Heilige Zeiten, first published 1873 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Sharon Krebs) , "Autumnal Feeling", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
2. La chanson des Lavandieres [sung text checked 1 time]
À quoi bon entendre Les oiseaux des bois ? L'oiseau le plus tendre Chante dans ta voix. Que Dieu montre ou voile Les astres des cieux ! La plus pure étoile Brille dans tes yeux. Qu'avril renouvelle Le jardin en fleur ! La fleur la plus belle Fleurit dans ton cœur. Cet [oiseau]1 de flamme, Cet astre du jour, Cette fleur de l'âme, S'appelle l'amour !
Authorship:
- by Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885), "La Chanson des Lavandieres", appears in Ruy Blas, Act 2, Scene 1, first published 1838 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) [singable] (Jos. Van de Vijver) , "Serenade"
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , no title, copyright © 2016
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Alberto Bonati) , "Para qué escuchar", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
1 Chabrier: "fleur" (flower)
Researcher for this text: Ted Perry
3. 'Twas April! [sung text checked 1 time]
'Twas April; 'twas Sunday: the day was fair, -- Yes! sunny and fair. And how happy was I! You wore the white dress you loved to wear; And two little flowers were hid in your hair -- Yes; in your hair, -- On that day -- gone by! We sat on the moss: it was shady and dry, -- Yes! shady and dry; [And we]1 sat in the shadow, We looked at the leaves, we looked at the sky, We looked at the brook which bubbled near by, -- Yes! bubbled near by, Through the quiet meadow. A bird sang on the swinging vine, -- Yes! on the vine, -- And then, -- sang not; I took your little white hand in mine; 'Twas April, 'twas Sunday; 'twas warm sunshine, -- Yes! warm sunshine: Have you forgot?
Authorship:
- by James Freeman Clarke (1810 - 1888), "A reminiscence" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Édouard Jules Henri Pailleron (1834 - 1899), "Chanson", appears in Avril, Chansons et poèmes, first published 1864
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View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Exotics: Attempts to Domesticate Them, by J. F. C. (James Freeman Clarke) and L. C., Boston, James R. Osgood and Company, 1875, page 64. Note: some sources for the Nevin song give the author as "James Freeman Clark".
1 Nevin: "We"Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
4. Raft song [sung text checked 1 time]
From up above my raft drifts down To you! to you! And oh! my love, your sweetheart brown Is true! is true! No girl's so sweet up in the pine As you! as you! Say, when you meet this raft of mine, I'm true! I'm true! From up above my raft drifts down To you! to you! And oh! my love, your sweetheart brown Is true! is true!
Authorship:
Researcher for this text: Ferdinando Albeggiani5. Before the Daybreak [sung text not yet checked]
Before the daybreak shines a star That in the day's great glory fades; Too fiercely bright is the full light That her pale-gleaming lamp upbraids. Before the daybreak sings a bird That stills her song ere morning light: Too loud for her is the day's stir, The woodland's thousand-tongued delight. Ah! great the honor is, to shine A light wherein no traveller errs; And rich the prize to rank divine Among the world's loud choristers. But I would be that paler star, And I would be that lonelier bird, To shine with hope, while hope's afar, And sing of love, when love's unheard.
Authorship:
- by Francis William Bourdillon (1852 - 1921), "Before the daybreak" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]