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'Tis the last rose of summer, Left blooming alone; All her lovely companions Are faded and gone; No flow'r of her kindred, No rosebud is nigh To reflect back her blushes, Or give sigh for sigh. I'll not leave thee, thou lone one, To pine on the stem; Since the lovely are sleeping, Go, sleep thou with them; Thus kindly I scatter Thy leaves o'er [thy bed, Where]1 thy mates of the garden Lie [scentless]2 and dead. So soon may I follow, When friendships decay, And from Love's shining circle The gems drop away! When true hearts lie wither'd. And fond ones are flown, Oh! who would inhabit This bleak world alone?
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Britten: "the bed/ Where"
2 Britten: "senseless"
Text Authorship:
- by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852), "'Tis the last rose of summer", appears in Irish Melodies, first published 1813 [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 (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "The last rose of summer" [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Friedrich (Adolf Ferdinand) von Flotow (1812 - 1883), "'Tis the last rose of summer" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Adolph Martin Foerster (1854 - 1927), "'Tis the last rose of summer", op. 64 (Garland of Songs), Heft 1 no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Richard Lalli , "The last rose of summer" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Havelock Nelson (1917 - 1996), "The last rose of summer", published 1964 [ SSA chorus and piano ], London: Elkin [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Andrew Stevenson (1761 - 1833), "'Tis the last rose of summer" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Phyllis Margaret Duncan Tate (1911 - 1987), "The last rose of summer", published 1964 [ SATB chorus and piano ], London: Oxford University Press [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by Auguste Louis Charles de Messence, comte de La Garde-Chambonas (1783 - 1853?) [an adaptation] ; composed by Giulio Alary.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Sophie von Reinhardt, Gräfin ; composed by Emilie Zumsteeg.
- Also set in Swedish (Svenska), a translation by Karl Alfred Melin (1849 - 1919) ; composed by Frithiof Hertzman, Emil Sjögren.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Guy Tops) , "’t Is de laatste roos van de zomer", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "C'est la dernière rose de l'été", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 114
C'est la dernière rose de l'été Qui seule reste en fleur ; Toutes ses charmantes compagnes Se sont fanées et ont disparu ; Plus une fleur parmi ses sœurs, Plus un bouton de rose à proximité Pour refléter ses rougeurs Ou lui rendre soupir pour soupir. Je ne te laisserai pas, toi solitaire, Languir sur ta tige ; Puisque les belles sont endormies, Va dormir avec elles. Ainsi donc je répands Tes feuilles sur le lit Où tes compagnes du jardin Gisent [sans parfum]1 et sans vie. Puissé-je te suivre bientôt, Lorsque l'amitié s'effrite Et que du brillant cercle d'Amour Les joyaux se détachent. Lorsque les cœurs fidèles gisent fanés Et que ceux qui sont chers se sont enfuis, Ô, qui voudrait habiter Seul ce monde désolé ?
1 Britten: "inanimées"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2014 by Pierre Mathé, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in English by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852), "'Tis the last rose of summer", appears in Irish Melodies, first published 1813
This text was added to the website: 2014-04-16
Line count: 24
Word count: 125