The [fountains mingle]1 with the River And the Rivers with the Ocean, The winds of Heaven mix for ever With a sweet emotion; Nothing in the world is single; All things by a law divine In one [another's being]2 mingle. Why not I with thine? - See the mountains kiss high Heaven And the waves clasp one another; No sister-flower would be forgiven If it disdained its brother; And the [sunlight clasps]3 the earth And the moonbeams kiss the sea: What [are all these kissings]4 worth If thou kiss not me?
Three Poems of Percy Bysshe Shelley
Song Cycle by David Arditti (b. 1964)
1. Love's philosophy  [sung text checked 1 time]
Authorship:
- by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 - 1822), "Love's philosophy"
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Vrchlický) , "Filosofie lásky"
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Adolf Strodtmann) , "Philosophie der Liebe", appears in Lieder- und Balladenbuch amerikanischer und englischer Dichter der Gegenwart, first published 1862
- POL Polish (Polski) (Kazimierz Przerwa-Tetmajer) , "Filozofia miłości"
1 Gounod: "fountain mingles"
2 Delius: "spirit meet and"
3 Gounod: "sunbeams clasp"
4 Delius: "is all this sweet work"; Gounod: "are all these kisses"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
2. To the Night  [sung text checked 1 time]
Swiftly walk over the western wave, Spirit of Night! Out of the misty eastern cave, Where, all the long and lone daylight, Thou wovest dreams of joy and fear Which make thee terrible and dear, - Swift be thy flight! Wrap thy form in a mantle grey Star-inwrought! Blind with thine hair the eyes of Day, Kiss her until she be wearied out, Then wander o'er city and sea, and land, Touching all with thine opiate wand - Come, long-sought! When I arose and saw the dawn, I sigh'd for thee; When light rode high, and the dew was gone, And noon lay heavy on flower and tree, And the weary Day turn'd to his rest, Lingering like an unloved guest, I sigh'd for thee. Thy brother Death came, and cried, "Wouldst thou me?" Thy sweet child Sleep, the filmy-eyed, Murmur'd like a noontide bee, "Shall I nestle near thy side? Wouldst thou me?" - And I replied, "No, not thee!" Death will come when thou art dead, Soon, too soon - Sleep will come when thou art fled; Of neither would I ask the boon I ask to thee, beloved Night - Swift be [thine]1 approaching flight, Come soon, soon!
Authorship:
- by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 - 1822), "To night"
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Vrchlický) , "Noci", Prague, J. Otto, first published 1901
- HUN Hungarian (Magyar) (Dezső Kosztolányi) , "Az Éjhez"
1 Maconchy: "thy"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
3. Indian Serenade  [sung text checked 1 time]
I arise from dreams of thee In the first sweet sleep of night, When the winds are breathing low, And the stars are shining bright: I arise from dreams of thee, And a spirit in my feet [Has]1 led me - who knows how? To thy chamber window, Sweet! The wandering airs they faint On the dark, the silent stream - The Champak odours fail Like sweet thoughts in a dream; The nightingale's complaint, It dies upon her heart; - As I must die on thine, O belovèd as thou art! Oh lift me from the grass! I die! I faint! I fail! Let thy love in kisses rain On my lips and eyelids pale. My cheek is cold and white, alas! My heart beats loud and fast; - Oh! press it to thine own again, Where it will break at last.
Authorship:
- by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 - 1822), "Lines to an Indian Air"
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CHI Chinese (中文) (Dr Huaixing Wang) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Vrchlický) , "Řádky k indické melodii"
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Indische Serenade", copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
1 Delius: "Hath"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]