I have had playmates, I have had companions, In my days of childhood, in my joyful school-days -- All, all are gone, the old familiar faces. I have been laughing, I have been carousing, Drinking late, sitting late, with my bosom cronies -- All, all are gone, the old familiar faces. I loved a Love once, fairest among women: Closed are her doors on me, I must not see her -- All, all are gone, the old familiar faces. I have a friend, a kinder friend has no man: Like an ingrate, I left my friend abruptly; Left him, to muse on the old familiar faces. Ghost-like I paced round the haunts of my childhood, Earth seem'd a desert I was bound to traverse, Seeking to find the old familiar faces. Friend of my bosom, thou more than a brother, Why wert not thou born in my father's dwelling? So might we talk of the old familiar faces -- How some they have died, and some they have left me, And some are taken from me; all are departed -- All, all are gone, the old familiar faces.
Authorship:
- by Charles Lamb (1775 - 1834), "The old familiar faces" [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 Jan Mul (1911 - 1971), "The old familiar faces", 1969 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Richard Flatter) , "Die altvertrauten Augen", 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: 2008-09-22
Line count: 21
Word count: 183
Gespielen hatt ich, Kameraden hatt ich, In meiner Kinderzeit, in froher Schulzeit – All, alle fort, die altvertrauten Augen. Ich konnte lachen, konnte lustig zechen, spät konnt ich auf sein mit den Spießgesellen – All, alle fort, die altvertrauten Augen. Ich liebte eine, lieblichste der Frauen: Fremd ist ihr Haus für mich, ich seh sie nie mehr – All, alle fort, die altvertrauten Augen. Hab einen Freund, kein Mensch hat einen bessern: Ließ ihn im Stich, den guten, plötzlich, grundlos – Ging, um zu schaun die altvertrauten Augen. Wie ein Gespenst sucht ich die Spur der Kindheit; Mir war als müßt ich eine Wüste queren, Wiederzusehn die altvertrauten Augen. Freund meiner Seele, mehr mir als ein Bruder! Wärst du gebor´n in meines Vaters Hause, Wir redeten von altvertrauten Augen – Wann dieser starb, wie jener mich verlassen, Ein andrer abfiel – – alle sind gegangen, All, alle fort, die altvertrauten Augen.
Please note: this text, provided here for educational and research use, is in the public domain in Canada, but it may still be copyright in other legal jurisdictions. The LiederNet Archive makes no guarantee that the above text is public domain in your country. Please consult your country's copyright statutes or a qualified IP attorney to verify whether a certain text is in the public domain in your country or if downloading or distributing a copy constitutes fair use. The LiederNet Archive assumes no legal responsibility or liability for the copyright compliance of third parties.
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 152.
Authorship:
- by Richard Flatter (1891 - 1960), "Die altvertrauten Augen", 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 Charles Lamb (1775 - 1834), "The old familiar faces"
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: 2021-02-25
Line count: 21
Word count: 151