by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824)
Translation by Adolf Böttger (1815 - 1870)
My soul is dark ‑ Oh! quickly string
Language: English
My soul is dark - Oh! quickly string The harp I yet can brook to hear; And let thy gentle fingers fling Its melting murmurs o'er mine ear. -- If in this heart a hope be dear, That sound shall charm it forth again -- If in these eyes there lurk a tear, 'Twill flow -- and cease to burn my brain -- But bid the strain be wild and deep, Nor let thy notes of joy be first: I tell thee -- Minstrel! I must weep, Or else this heavy heart will burst -- For it hath been by sorrow nurst, And ached in sleepless silence long -- And now 'tis doom'd to know the worst, And break at once -- or yield to song.
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with all available footnotesText Authorship:
- by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "My soul is dark", appears in Hebrew Melodies, no. 9, adaptation of I Samuel 16:14-23, first published 1815 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 118
Mein Geist ist trüb' ‑‑ o nimm geschwind
NOTE: the footnotes have been removed from this text; return to general view
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
Our translations: ENG
Mein Geist ist trüb' -- o nimm geschwind Die Harfe, die mich stärkt, empor; Von deinem Finger gleitet lind Ihr schmelzend Murmeln an mein Ohr; Wenn Hoffnung nicht dies Herz verlor, Wird dieser Klang hervor sie locken, Die Thräne, meines Auges Flor, Wird fließen, statt im Hirn zu stocken. Fang' nicht mit Jubelliedern an, Gib Eins, das wild und traurig klingt: Mach', Harfner, daß ich weinen kann, Da sonst mein armes Herz zerspringt, Das immer sich zum Schweigen zwingt, Das sich vom Kummer nährt so lange; -- Nun da der Fluch das Schlimmste bringt, Jetzt bricht es -- oder schmilzt im Klange.
O. Zack sets stanza 1
About the headline (FAQ)
View text with all available footnotesConfirmed with Adolf Böttger, Schönheiten aus Byron's Werken, Leipzig: Otto Wigand, 1841, pages 27-28.
Text Authorship:
- by Adolf Böttger (1815 - 1870), "Mein Geist ist trüb' -- o nimm geschwind", appears in Hebräische Melodien, no. 9, first published 1841 [author's text checked 2 times against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "My soul is dark", appears in Hebrew Melodies, no. 9, adaptation of I Samuel 16:14-23, first published 1815
Go to the general view
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2011-05-22
Line count: 16
Word count: 101