
Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at 
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
O, curlew, cry no more in the air, Or only to the waters in the West; Because your crying brings to my mind Passion-dimmed eyes and long heavy hair That was shaken out over my breast: There is enough evil in the crying of wind.
About the headline (FAQ)
First published in Savoy, November 1896, as one of Windlestraws, revised 1899 and 1906Authorship:
- by William Butler Yeats (1865 - 1939), "O'Sullivan Rua to the Curlew" [author's text checked 1 time 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 Lawrence Gilman (1878 - 1939), "The curlew", published 1904 [reciter and piano], from Three Songs [ sung text not verified ]
- by Peggy Glanville-Hicks (1912 - 1990), "He reproves the curlew", <<1932 [voice and piano], unpublished [ sung text not verified ]
- by Richard Roderick-Jones (b. 1947), "He reproves the curlew", 1966 [soprano and piano], from The wind among the reeds [ sung text not verified ]
- by John Kenneth Tavener (1944 - 2013), "The curlew", 1984 [soprano and piano], from Song Cycle for Gina, no. 3. [ sung text not verified ]
- by Peter Warlock (1894 - 1930), "He reproves the curlew", published 1924 [tenor solo, flute, English horn and string quartet], from The Curlew, no. 1. [ sung text verified 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "O chiurlo, più non gridare all'aria", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: David K. Smythe
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 6
Word count: 45
Ô courlis, ne crie plus dans l'air, Ou seulement aux eaux de l'ouest ; Car ton cri me rappelle Des yeux voilés par la passion et une lourde et longue chevelure Qui déferlait sur ma poitrine : Il y a assez de maux dans les cris du vent.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of title(s):
"The curlew" = "Le courlis"
"O'Sullivan Rua to the Curlew" = "O'Sullivan Rua s'adresse au courlis"
"He reproves the curlew" = "Il blâme le courlis"
Authorship:
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2018 by Pierre Mathé, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: 
Based on:
- a text in English by William Butler Yeats (1865 - 1939), "O'Sullivan Rua to the Curlew"
This text was added to the website: 2018-03-26
Line count: 6
Word count: 48