by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)
Translation by Jan Śliwiński (1884 - 1950), as Hans Effenberger
Speak to me, my love!
Language: English after the Bangla (Bengali)
Speak to me, my love! Tell me in words what you sang. The night is dark. The stars are lost in clouds. The wind is sighing through the leaves. I will let loose my hair. My blue cloak will cling round me like night. I will clasp your head to my bosom; And there in the sweet loneliness murmur on your heart. I will shut my eyes and listen. I will not look in your face. When your words are ended, we will sit still and silent. Only the trees will whisper in the dark. The night will pale. The day will dawn. We shall look at each other's eyes and go on our different paths. Speak to me, my love! Tell me in words what you sang.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with all available footnotesText Authorship:
- by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in The Gardener, no. 29, first published 1915 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941) [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Frank Bridge (1879 - 1941), "Speak to me, my love!", 1924, published 1925 [ voice and piano or orchestra ], from Three Songs [1925/1926], no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ann Marie Callaway (b. 1949), "Speak to me, my love", 2001 [ soprano, bass, chorus, and piano ], from Songs From the Gardener, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Matthew Emery (b. 1991), "Speak to me my love ", 2012, first performed 2013 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], Houston, Alliance Music AMP-0929 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Margaret Carter Metcalf (d. 1957), "Speak to me, my love!", 1921 [ high voice and piano ], from Four Poems, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Patrick Burgan, Thierry Machuel, Philippe Schœller.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
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- Also set in French (Français), a translation by Henriette Mirabaud-Thorens (1881 - 1943) ; composed by Isidore Cohen, as Isidore de Lara.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
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- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Jan Śliwiński (1884 - 1950) , appears in Rabindranath Tagore. Der Gärtner, no. 29, first published 1916 ; composed by Ján Móry, Alexander Zemlinsky.
- Also set in Italian (Italiano), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Franco Alfano.
- Also set in Polish (Polski), a translation by Jan Kasprowicz (1860 - 1926) , first published 1923 ; composed by Grażyna Bacewicz.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Parle-moi, mon amour !", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2011, (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: 21
Word count: 130
Sprich zu mir Geliebter
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
Our translations: ITA
Sprich zu mir Geliebter, Sag mir mit Worten, was du sangest. Die Nacht ist dunkel, Die Sterne sind in Wolken verloren, Der Wind seufzt durch die Blätter. Ich will mein Haar lösen, Mein blauer Mantel wird dich umschmiegen wie Nacht. Ich will deinen Kopf an meine Brust schließen, Und hier, in der süßen Einsamkeit Laß dein Herz reden. Ich will meine Augen zumachen und lauschen, Ich will nicht in dein Antlitz schauen. Wenn deine Worte zu Ende sind, Wollen wir still und schweigend sitzen, Nur die Bäume werden im Dunkel flüstern, Die Nacht wird bleichen, Der Tag wird dämmern, Wir werden einander in die Augen schauen Und jeder seines Weges ziehn. Sprich zu mir, Geliebter. Sag mir mit Worten, was du sangest.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with all available footnotesText Authorship:
- by Jan Śliwiński (1884 - 1950), as Hans Effenberger, appears in Rabindranath Tagore. Der Gärtner, no. 29, first published 1916 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in The Gardener, no. 29, first published 1915
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941) [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Ján Móry (1892 - 1978), "Sprich zu mir Geliebter ", op. 12 no. 2 [ voice and piano ], from Tagore-Album, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alexander Zemlinsky (1871 - 1942), "Sprich zu mir Geliebter", op. 18 no. 4 (1922), first performed 1924 [ soprano and orchestra ], from Lyrische Symphonie, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Amore mio, parlami", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-10-20
Line count: 21
Word count: 123