by Robert Browning (1812 - 1889)

James Lee's wife speaks at the window
 (Sung text for setting by A. Somervell)
 Matches original text
Language: English 
Our translations:  CAT GER ITA
Ah, Love, but a day,
And the world has changed!
The sun's away,
And the bird estranged;
The wind has dropped, 
And the sky's deranged;
Summer has stopped.

Look in my eyes!
Wilt thou change too?
Should I fear surprise?
Shall I find aught new 
In the old and dear,
In the good and true,
With the changing year?

Thou art a man,
But I am thy love.
For the lake, its swan;
For the dell, its dove;
And for thee — (oh, haste!)
Me, to bend above,
Me, to hold embraced.

Composition:

    Set to music by Arthur Somervell, Sir (1863 - 1937), "James Lee's wife speaks at the window", 1906, published 1907 [ mezzo-soprano and orchestra or piano ], from James Lee's Wife, no. 1, confirmed with a CD booklet

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Manuel Capdevila i Font) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Sharon Krebs) , "Ach, Geliebter, nur ein Tag", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Denise Ritter Bernardini) , "Ah, l'amore, ma un giorno", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 21
Word count: 92