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Early in the day it was whispered that we should sail in a boat, only thou and I, and never a soul in the world would know of this our pilgrimage to no country and to no end. In that shoreless ocean, at thy silently listening smile my songs would swell in melodies, free as waves, free from all bondage of words. Is the time not come yet? Are there works still to do? Lo, the evening has come down upon the shore and in the fading light the seabirds come flying to their nests. Who knows when the chains will be off, and the boat, like the last glimmer of sunset, vanish into the night?
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 42, first published 1912 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 42 [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Walter Arlen (1920 - 2023), "Early in the day" [ soprano and piano ], from Tellings of Beads: Five Last Songs, no. 2, confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Comolata Banerji (189? - 19??), "Early in the day", 1926 [ voice and piano ], from Song Offerings, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Iain Bell (b. 1980), "Sail Away", first performed 2017 [ soprano and piano ], from Away, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by David Leisner (b. 1958), "The Boat", 1991 [ soprano and guitar ], from Heaven's River, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Landon Ronald, Sir (1873 - 1938), "Early in the day it was whispered", 1920 [ high voice and piano ], from Four Song Offerings - 2nd series, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by André Gide (1869 - 1951) , no title, appears in Gitanjali (L'Offrande lyrique), no. 42, first published 1914 ; composed by Louis Durey, Henriette Puig-Roget.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- IRI Irish (Gaelic) [singable] (Gabriel Rosenstock) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-11-03
Line count: 17
Word count: 116
Frühmorgens ging ein Flüstern um: nur du und ich mit einem Boot auf eine Reise, und keine Menschenseel’ würd’ je von unsrer Pilgerfahrt erfahr’n, die führen wird zu keinem Orte, keinem Ziel. Auf diesem grenzenlosen Meere würden meine Lieder brausend sich zu Melodien entfalten, frei wie die Wogen, frei von allem Wort, derweil du lächelst, stille lauschend. Ist diese Zeit noch nicht bereit? Sind Werke noch zu tun? Schau, wie der Abend senkt sich auf den Strand, es flieht das Licht, und Meeresvögel fliegen heim zu ihrem Nest. Wer weiß, wann man die Taue löst, und wann das Boot wie letzter Abendschein verschwindet in die Nacht?
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2014 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in English by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in Gitanjali, no. 42, first published 1912
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), appears in গীতাঞ্জলি (Gitanjali), no. 42 [text unavailable]
This text was added to the website: 2014-05-30
Line count: 17
Word count: 106