by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861)
Translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
Say over again, and yet once over again
Language: English
Say over again, and yet once over again, That thou dost love me. Though the word repeated Should seem “a cuckoo-song,” as thou dost treat it, Remember, never to the hill or plain, Valley and wood, without her cuckoo-strain Comes the fresh Spring in all her green completed. Belovèd, I, amid the darkness greeted By a doubtful spirit-voice, in that doubt’s pain Cry, “Speak once more—thou lovest!” Who can fear Too many stars, though each in heaven shall roll, Too many flowers, though each shall crown the year? Say thou [dost]1 love me, love me, love me — toll The silver iterance! — only minding, Dear, To love me also in silence with thy soul.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with English Poetry II: From Collins to Fitzgerald, Vol. XLI. The Harvard Classics. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1909–14; Bartleby.com, 2001. www.bartleby.com/41/598.htm
1 Steele: "does" (typo?)Text Authorship:
- by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), no title, appears in Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 21, first published 1847
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Christian Hawkey) , no title, written 2012, appears in Sonne from ort, no. 21
Researcher for this page: Lynn Steele
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 115
Sag immer wieder und noch einmal sag Matches base text
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
Sag immer wieder und noch einmal sag, daß du mich liebst. Obwohl dies Wort vielleicht, so wiederholt, dem lied des Kuckucks gleicht wie du's empfandest: über Tal und Hag und Feld und Abhang, beinah allgemein und überall, mit jedem Frühling tönend. Geliebter, da im Dunkel redet höhnend ein Zweifelgeist mich an; ich möchte schrein: «Sag wieder, daß du liebst.» Wer ist denn bang, daß zu viel Sterne werden: ihrem Gang sind Himmel da. Und wenn sich Blumen mehren, erweitert sich das Jahr. Laß wiederkehren der Kehrreim deiner Liebe. Doch entzieh mir ihre Stille nicht. Bewahrst du sie?
Composition:
- Set to music by Viktor Ullmann (1898 - 1944), "Sag immer wieder und noch einmal sag", op. 29 no. 2 (1940), from Drei Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen von Elizabeth Barett-Browning, übertragen von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 2
Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, written 1908, appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 21
Based on:
- a text in English by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), no title, appears in Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 21, first published 1847
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Uljana Wolf) , " XXI", written 2012, appears in Sonne from ort
Researcher for this page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2008-11-26
Line count: 14
Word count: 97