by Anonymous / Unidentified Author and possibly by Orlando Gibbons (1583 - 1625) and sometimes misattributed to Thomas Morley (1557 - 1602)

Language: English 
Our translations:  FRE GER
The silver swan who, living, had no note,
when death approached, unlocked her silent throat.

Leaning her breast against the reedy shore,
thus sung her first and last, and sung no more:

"Farewell all joys, O death come close my eyes.
More geese than swans now live, more fools than wise."

Composition:

    Set to music by Ned Rorem (1923 - 2022), "The silver swan", 1949 [ high voice and piano ]

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, "The silver swan", first published 1612
  • possibly by Orlando Gibbons (1583 - 1625), "The silver swan", first published 1612
  • sometimes misattributed to Thomas Morley (1557 - 1602)

See other settings of this text.

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

  • FRE French (Français) (Dwain Richardson) , "Le cygne argenté", copyright © 2003, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Martin Stock) , "Der Silberschwan", copyright © 2001, (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: 6
Word count: 52