Ah! the life, the light, the jewel, Nourmahal! On the carpet idly lying, She is singing, she is sighing; Cool the shadows, sweet to dream, Safe within the still Harem. Ah! the life, the light, the jewel, Nourmahal! On the carpet footsteps creeping, Where the lovely one lies sleeping, Soft her bosom's fall and rise, Swift the flash of jealous eyes. Ah! the life, the light, the jewel, Nourmahal! On the carpet crimson glowing, Deeper stains the red blood flowing; dreary falls the moon's cold gleam, In the still, the still Harem.
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Text Authorship:
- by Helen Maude Francesca Bantock, née von Schweitzer (1868 - 1961) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Granville Ransome Bantock, Sir (1868 - 1946), "In the harem", subtitle: "The story of the Carpet", 1898, published 1898, orchestrated 1945 [ voice and piano ], from Songs of the East IV: Songs of Persia, no. 4, Breitkopf und Härtel [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Franz Hermann Schneider)
Researcher for this page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-02-19
Line count: 15
Word count: 92
Ach! du Leben, Licht und Liebe, Nurmahal! Auf dem Teppich träg' sich dehnend, signt sie bald, bald seufzt sie sehnend; kühler Schatten süsser Traum webt in Harems sicherm Raum. Ach! du Leben, Licht und Liebe, Nurmahal! Auf dem Teppich naht sich's kriechend, wo die Holde, schlummernd liegend, sanft den Busen senkt und hebt, Feindeshand in Hass erbebt. Ach! du Leben, Licht und Liebe, Nurmahal! Auf des Teppichs rother Flache tiefer roth nun Bluthes Bäche; traurig fällt der Mondenstrahl in des Harems stillen Saal.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- Singable translation by Franz Hermann Schneider (1860 - 1930) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Helen Maude Francesca Bantock, née von Schweitzer (1868 - 1961)
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2017-07-11
Line count: 15
Word count: 83