The pride of the peacock is the glory of God. The lust of the goat is the bounty of God. The wrath of the lion is the wisdom of God. The nakedness of woman is the work of God.
Songs and Proverbs of William Blake
Song Cycle by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976)
1. Proverb I  [sung text checked 1 time]
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827)
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Proverbe I", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
2. London  [sung text checked 1 time]
I wander thro' each charter'd street, Near where the charter'd Thames does flow And mark in every face I meet Marks of weakness, marks of woe. In every cry of every Man, In every Infant's cry of fear, In every voice, in every ban, The mind-forg'd manacles I hear. How the Chimney-sweeper's cry Every black'ning Church appalls, And the hapless Soldier's sigh Runs in blood down Palace walls. But most thro' midnight streets I hear How the youthful Harlot's curse Blasts the new-born Infant's tear And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse.
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "London", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 18, first published 1794
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Londres", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
3. Proverb II  [sung text checked 1 time]
Prisons are built with stones of Law, Brothels with bricks of Religion.
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827)
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Proverbe II", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
4. The chimney sweeper  [sung text not yet checked]
A little black thing among the snow, Crying 'weep 'weep in notes of woe! Where are thy father and mother? say? They are both gone up to the church to pray. Because I was happy upon the hearth, And smil'd among the winter's snow They clothed me in the clothes of death, And taught me to sing the notes of woe. And because I am happy & dance & sing They think they have done me no injury, And are gone to praise God & his Priest & King Who make up a heaven of our misery.
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "The chimney sweeper", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 7, first published 1794
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le ramoneur de cheminée", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
5. Proverb III  [sung text checked 1 time]
The bird a nest, the spider a web, man friendship.
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827)
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Proverbe III", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit) , "Proverbio III", copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
6. A poison tree  [sung text not yet checked]
I was angry with my friend: I told my wrath, my wrath did end. I was angry with my foe: I told it not, my wrath did grow. And I water'd it in fears, Night & morning with my tears; And I sunned it with smiles, And with soft deceitful wiles. And it grew both day and night, Till it bore an apple bright. And my foe beheld it shine, And he knew that it was mine. And into my garden stole When the night had veil'd the pole, In the morning glad I see My foe outstretch'd beneath the tree.
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "The poison tree", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 21, first published 1794
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Un arbre empoisonné", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Ein Giftbaum", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
7. Proverb IV  [sung text checked 1 time]
Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827)
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Proverbe IV", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
8. The Tyger  [sung text not yet checked]
Tyger Tyger, burning bright, In the forests of the night; What immortal hand or eye, Could frame thy fearful symmetry? In what distant deeps or skies Burnt the fire of thine eyes? On what wings dare he aspire? What the hand, dare sieze the fire? And what shoulder, & what art, Could twist the sinews of thy heart? And when thy heart began to beat, What dread hand? & what dread feet? What the hammer? what the chain, In what furnace was thy brain? What the anvil? what dread grasp, Dare its deadly terrors clasp! When the stars threw down their spears And water'd heaven with their tears: Did he smile his work to see? Did he who made the Lamb make thee? Tyger Tyger burning bright, In the forests of the night: What immortal hand or eye, Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "The tyger", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 12, first published 1794
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El tigre", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- CHI Chinese (中文) [singable] (Dr Huaixing Wang) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Le tigre", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Walter A. Aue) , "Der Tiger", copyright © 2006, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Thomas F. Schubert) , "Der Tiger", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- RUS Russian (Русский) [singable] (Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov) , "Тигр", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
9. Proverb V  [sung text checked 1 time]
The tygers of wrath are wiser than the horses of instruction. If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise. If others had not been foolish, we should be so.
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827)
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Proverbe V", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
10. The fly  [sung text checked 1 time]
Little Fly, Thy summer's play My thoughtless hand Has brush'd away. Am not I A fly like thee? Or art not thou A man like me? For I dance And drink & sing: Till some blind hand Shall brush my wing. If thought is life And strength & breath And the want Of thought is death; Then am I A happy fly, If I live, Or if I die.
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "The fly", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 10, first published 1794
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "La mouche", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- RUS Russian (Русский) [singable] (Dmitri Nikolaevich Smirnov) , "Мотылёк", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
11. Proverb VI  [sung text checked 1 time]
The hours of folly are measur'd by the clock; But of wisdom, no clock can measure. The busy bee has no time for sorrow. Eternity is in love with the productions of time.
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827)
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Proverbe VI", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
12. Ah, Sun‑flower  [sung text not yet checked]
Ah, Sun-flower! weary of time, Who countest the steps of the Sun; Seeking after that sweet golden clime, Where the traveller's journey is done: Where the Youth pined away with desire, And the pale Virgin shrouded in snow, Arise from their graves and aspire Where my Sun-flower wishes to go.
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 14, first published 1794
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Ah ! tournesol !", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Elisa Rapado) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
13. Proverb VII  [sung text checked 1 time]
To see [a]1 World in a Grain of Sand, And a Heaven in a Wild Flower, Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand, And Eternity in an hour.
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), no title, appears in Auguries of Innocence, no. 1
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Proverbe VII", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Walter A. Aue) , "Eine Welt zu sehn in dem Körnchen Sand", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Vedere un mondo in un grano di sabbia", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
1 Coulthard: "the"; further changes may exist not noted
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
14. Every Night and every Morn [sung text checked 1 time]
Note: this is a multi-text setting
Every night and every morn Some to Misery are Born. Every Night & every Morn Some are Born to sweet delight.
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), no title, appears in Auguries of Innocence, no. 31
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Chaque nuit et chaque matin", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Some are born to sweet delight, Some are born to endless night.
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), no title, appears in Auguries of Innocence, no. 32
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]We are led to believe a lie When we see not thro' the eye, Which was born in a night to perish in a night, When the soul slept in beams of light.
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), no title, appears in Auguries of Innocence, no. 33
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]God appears, and God is light, To those poor souls who dwell in night; But does a human form display To those who dwell in realms of day.
Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), no title, appears in Auguries of Innocence, no. 34
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]