It is not growing like a tree In bulk, doth make man better be; Or standing long an oak, three-hundred year, To fall a log at last, dry, bald and sere. A lily of a day, Is fairer far in May, Although it droop and die that night, It was the plant and flow'r of light. In small proportions we just beauties see; And in short measures, life may perfect be.
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Text Authorship:
- by Ben Jonson (1572 - 1637) [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 (Henry) Walford Davies, Sir (1869 - 1941), "It is not growing like a tree", published 1931 [ voice and piano ], from Twenty-one songs, no. 8 [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Linton Gardner (1917 - 2011), "It is not growing like a tree", op. 36 no. 6, published 1956 [ mixed chorus and piano duet or small orchestra ], from Seven Songs, no. 6, London : Oxford University Press [sung text not yet checked]
- by Liza Lehmann (1862 - 1918), "The lily of a day" [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Richard Flatter) , "Edle Art", appears in Die Fähre, Englische Lyrik aus fünf Jahrhunderten, first published 1936
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 10
Word count: 71
Nicht wie beim Baum die Höh und Pracht Ist´s, was den Menschen edler macht. Dreihundert Jahr´ lang steht die Eiche stolz Und schließlich stürzt sie und ist dürres Holz. Ein Schneeglöckchen im Hag, Lebt´s auch nur einen Tag, Des lichten Lenzes reinster Traum, Kann edler sein als Strauch und Baum. Im engsten Kreis kann Schönheit reich gedeihn: Auch kleines Leben kann vollendet sein.
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Confirmed with Die Fähre, Englische Lyrik aus fünf Jahrhunderten Übersetzt von Richard Flatter, Walter Krieg Verlag, Wien-Bad Bocklet-Zürich, 1954, 2nd edition (1st edition 1936), page 114.
Text Authorship:
- by Richard Flatter (1891 - 1960), "Edle Art", appears in Die Fähre, Englische Lyrik aus fünf Jahrhunderten, first published 1936 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Ben Jonson (1572 - 1637)
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: Volkmar Henschel
This text was added to the website: 2021-02-24
Line count: 10
Word count: 63