We who are old, old and gay
Language: English
Sung by the people of Faery over Diarmuid and Grania,
in their bridal sleep under a Cromlech.
We who are old, old and gay,
O so old!
Thousands of years, thousands of years,
If all were told:
Give to these children, new from the world,
Silence and love;
And the long dew-dropping hours of the night,
And the stars above:
Give to these children, new from the world,
Rest far from men.
Is anything better, anything better?
Tell us it then:
Us who are old, old and gay,
O so old!
Thousands of years, thousands of years,
If all were told.
About the headline (FAQ)
First published in
National Observer, September 1891
Confirmed with The Poetical Works of William B. Yeats in two volumes, volume 1 : Lyrical Poems, The Macmillan Company, New York and London, 1906, page 177.
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-01-17
Line count: 18
Word count: 84
Nous qui sommes vieilles, vieilles et...
Language: French (Français) after the English
Chantée par le peuple du Pays des Fées au-dessus de Diamuid et de Grania,
dans leur sommeil nuptial sous un Cromlech.
Nous qui sommes vieilles, vieilles et gaies,
Oh si vieilles !
Des milliers d'années, des milliers d'années,
Si tout devait être dit :
Donne à ces enfants, nouveaux au monde,
Silence et amour ;
Et les longues heures de la nuit où tombe la rosée,
Et les étoiles au-dessus :
Donne à ces enfants, nouveaux au monde
Le repos loin des hommes.
Y a-t-il quelque chose de mieux, quelque chose de mieux ?
Alors, dis-le nous :
Nous qui sommes vieilles, vieilles et gaies,
Oh si vieilles !
Des milliers d'années, des milliers d'années,
Si tout devait être dit.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with all available footnotes
Translation of title "A faery song" = "Chanson de fée"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2015 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:
This text was added to the website: 2015-12-27
Line count: 18
Word count: 92