In moments to delight devoted «My life» with tenderest tone you cry; Dear words! on which my heart had doted, If Youth could neither fade or die. To Death even hours like these must roll, Ah! then repeat those accents never; Or change «my Life» into «my Soul» Which, like my Love, exists for ever.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, a Romaunt: and other Poems, seventh Edition, London: John Murray, 1814, page 245. Appears in Poems. See also Another Version, published 1832.
Note: in 1815, Byron wrote the following lines in Lady Lansdowne's album, at Bowood (a note by Mr Richard Edgecombe, in Notes and Queries, Sixth Series, vii. 46):
"In moments to delight devoted 'My Life!' is still the name you give, Dear words! on which my heart had doted Had Man an endless term to live. But, ah! so swift the seasons roll That name must be repeated never, For 'Life' in future say, 'My Soul,' Which like my love exists for ever.
Text Authorship:
- by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "From the Portugese", appears in Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, a Romaunt: and other Poems, in Poems, first published 1814 [an adaptation] [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Portuguese (Português) by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Hans Hermann (1870 - 1931), "In moments to delight devoted", op. 23 (Drei Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1903 [ voice and piano ], also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Germaine Tailleferre (1892 - 1983), "In moments to delight devoted", subtitle: "From the Portuguese: "Tu Mi Chamas"" [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824) , "Another Version", first published 1832 ; composed by Henry Deutsch de la Meurthe.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Adolf Böttger (1815 - 1870) , "Aus dem Portugiesischen", first published 1819 ; composed by Hans Hermann, Conradin Kreutzer.
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Ivan Ivanovich Kozlov (1779 - 1840) ; composed by Akhilles Nikolayevich Alferaki, César Antonovich Cui, Reinhold Moritzevich Glière, Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Friedrich Christian Diez) , "Aus dem Portugiesischen"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-04-07
Line count: 8
Word count: 55
In des Entzückens Augenblicken Nennst [zärtlich du]1 „mein Leben” mich, Wie würde [dies mein Herz erquicken]2, Wenn Jugend [nimmermehr entwich]3. Doch Tod muß alles Leben brechen, Drum [wiederhole nie dies]4 Wort, [Magst]5 lieber „meine Seele” sprechen, Die lebt wie meine Liebe fort.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Byron's sämmtliche Werke von Adolf Böttger, Zweite Taschenausgabe, Zehnter Band, Leipzig, Verlag von Otto Wigand, 1847, page 135.
1 Kreutzer: "du wohl oft"2 Kreutzer: "mich dies Wort beglücken"
3 Kreutzer: "nimmer welkt' und wich'"
4 Kreutzer: "sprich nicht ferner dieses"
5 Kreutzer: "Mögst"
Text Authorship:
- Singable translation by Adolf Böttger (1815 - 1870), "Aus dem Portugiesischen", first published 1819 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "From the Portugese", appears in Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, a Romaunt: and other Poems, in Poems, first published 1814 [an adaptation]
Based on:
- a text in Portuguese (Português) by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Hans Hermann (1870 - 1931), "In des Entzückens Augenblick : Lied", op. 23 (Drei Lieder für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 2, published 1895 [ voice and piano ], Berlin, Challier & Co., also set in English [sung text not yet checked]
- by Conradin Kreutzer (1780 - 1849), "In des Entzückens Augenblicken" [sung text checked 1 time]
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor] , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2011-08-29
Line count: 8
Word count: 49