by John Keats (1795 - 1821)

Language: English 
Our translations:  CAT FRE
 ... 

Stop and consider! life is but a day; 
A fragile dew-drop on its perilous way 
From a tree’s summit; a poor Indian’s sleep 
While his boat hastens to the monstrous steep 
Of Montmorenci. Why so sad a moan? 
Life is the rose’s hope while yet unblown; 
The reading of an ever-changing tale; 
The light uplifting of a maiden’s veil; 
A pigeon tumbling in clear summer air; 
A laughing school-boy, without grief or care, 
Riding the springy branches of an elm. 
Could all this be forgotten?
The poem is headed by a quote from Chaucer: 
«As I lay in my bed slepe full unmete 
Was unto me, but why that I ne might 
Rest I ne wist, for there n’as erthly wight 
[As I suppose] had more of hertis ese 
Than I, for I n’ad sicknesse nor disese.»

Composition:

    Set to music by Scott Gendel (b. 1977), "One day", 2000, stanza 5 [ medium-high voice and piano ], from Keats Songs, no. 5

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Què és més suau que l’oreig a l’estiu?", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • FRE French (Français) (Jean-Pierre Granger)


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2016-07-10
Line count: 408
Word count: 3087