by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824)
Translation Singable translation by Adolf Böttger (1815 - 1870)

In moments to delight devoted
Language: English  after the Portuguese (Português) 
Our translations:  FRE
In moments to delight devoted 
  «My life» with tenderest tone you cry;
Dear words! on which my heart had doted,
  If Youth could neither fade or die. 

To Death even hours like these must roll,
  Ah! then repeat those accents never;
Or change «my Life» into «my Soul»
  Which, like my Love, exists for ever.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, a Romaunt: and other Poems, seventh Edition, London: John Murray, 1814, page 245. Appears in Poems. See also Another Version, published 1832.

Note: in 1815, Byron wrote the following lines in Lady Lansdowne's album, at Bowood (a note by Mr Richard Edgecombe, in Notes and Queries, Sixth Series, vii. 46): 

"In moments to delight devoted
⁠'My Life!' is still the name you give,
Dear words! on which my heart had doted
⁠Had Man an endless term to live.

But, ah! so swift the seasons roll
⁠That name must be repeated never,
For 'Life' in future say, 'My Soul,'
⁠Which like my love exists for ever.


Text Authorship:

Based on:

See other settings of this text.

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

  • FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Friedrich Christian Diez) , "Aus dem Portugiesischen"


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-04-07
Line count: 8
Word count: 55

In des Entzückens Augenblicken
 (Sung text for setting by C. Kreutzer)
 See original
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
In des Entzückens Augenblicken
Nennst du wohl oft „mein Leben” mich,
Wie würde mich dies Wort beglücken,
Wenn Jugend nimmer welkt' und wich'.

Doch Tod muß alles Leben brechen,
Drum sprich nicht ferner dieses Wort,
Mögst lieber „meine Seele” sprechen,
Die lebt wie meine Liebe fort.

Composition:

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation by Adolf Böttger (1815 - 1870), "Aus dem Portugiesischen", first published 1819

Based on:

Based on:

See other settings of this text.


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Senior Associate Editor], Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2011-08-29
Line count: 8
Word count: 49