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from Volkslieder (Folksongs)
Translation

Willow song
Language: English  after the Middle English 
The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree.
Sing all a green willow:
With his hand on his bosom and his head upon his knee.
Sing willow willow willow willow,
sing willow willow willow willow
must be my garland.
Sing all a green willow,
willow willow willow,
Sing all a green willow must be my garland.

He sighed in his singing and made a great moan.
Sing all a green willow:
I am dead to all pleasure my true love is gone.
Sing willow willow willow willow,
sing willow willow willow willow
must be my garland.
Sing all a green willow,
willow willow willow,
Sing all a green willow must be my garland.

The mute bird sat by him was made tame by his moans.
Sing all a green willow:
The true tears fell from him would have melted the stones.
Sing willow willow willow willow,
sing willow willow willow willow
must be my garland.
Sing all a green willow,
willow willow willow,
Sing all a green willow must be my garland.

Take this for my farewell and latest adieu.
Sing all a green willow:
Write this on my tomb: that in love I was true.
Sing willow willow willow willow,
sing willow willow willow willow
must be my garland.
Sing all a green willow,
willow willow willow,
Sing all a green willow must be my garland.

The text shown is a variant of another text. [ View differences ]
It is based on

  • a text in Middle English from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Willow song", first published 1583
    • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Edmund Horace Fellowes (1870 - 1951), "Willow song", published 1929, copyright © 1929 [voice and piano] [ sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in English, adapted by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) , appears in The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, Act IV scene 3 [an adaptation] FRE GER GER GER GER ; composed by Joseph W. Baber, Mary Grant Carmichael, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Wolfgang Fortner, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, Sir, Betty Roe, Arthur Sullivan, Sir, Ralph Vaughan Williams.
      • Go to the text.
  • Also set in English, [adaptation] ; composed by Percy Aldridge Grainger.
      • Go to the text.
  • Also set in English, [adaptation] ; composed by Peter Warlock.
      • Go to the text.
  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ENG ENG ENG ENG FRE ; composed by Johann Karl Gottfried Loewe.
      • Go to the text.
  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist [an adaptation] ENG ENG ENG ENG FRE ; composed by Wilhelm Petersen.
      • Go to the text.
  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist [an adaptation] ENG ENG ENG ENG FRE ; composed by Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg.
      • Go to the text.
  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ENG ENG ENG ENG FRE ; composed by Wolfgang Fortner.
      • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation possibly by Johann Michael Vogl (1768 - 1840) ENG ENG ENG ENG FRE ; composed by Johann Michael Vogl.
      • Go to the text.
  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Karl Georg Mantey ENG ENG ENG ENG FRE ; composed by Wolfgang Fortner.
      • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]

Researcher for this page: Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2018-12-18
Line count: 36
Word count: 228

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