The day will dawn when one of us shall hearken In vain to hear a voice that has grown dumb. And morns will fade, noons pale, and shadows darken, While sad eyes watch for feet that never come One of us two must sometime face existence Alone with memories that buy sharpen pain. And these sweet days shall shine back in the distance, Like dreams of summer dawns, in nights of rain. One of us two, with tortured heart half broken, Shall read long-treasured letters through salt tears, Shall kiss with anguished lips each cherished token That speaks of these love-crowned, delicious years One of us two shall find all life, all beauty, All joy on earth, a tale forever done; Shall know henceforth that life means only duty O God! O God! have pity on that one!
Confirmed with Ella Wheeler Wilcox, Sonnets of Sorrow and Triumph, New York: George H. Doran, 1918.
Text Authorship:
- by Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850 - 1919), "One of us two", written 1886, appears in Sonnets of Sorrow and Triumph [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):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Frank Siller (1835 - 1901) , "Einst kommt der Tag" ; composed by Robert Goldbeck.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Frank Siller) , "Einst kommt der Tag"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2022-01-05
Line count: 16
Word count: 139
Einst kommt der Tag, da Einer von uns beiden Vergebens nach dem Andern lauschen soll, Und Tag um Tag und bange Nächte leiden, Das Herz erschlafft, die Augen thränenvoll. Einer von uns muß einst dem Ernst des Lebens Allein entgegenseh'n mit ernstem Blick, Wünscht dann oft sehnsuchtsvoll, doch ach vergebens, Ein Stündchen aus der alten Zeit zurück. Einer von uns, mit halbgebroch'nem Herzen, Mit nassem Aug', liest dann manch alten Brief, Und denkt zurück mit unnennbaren Schmerzen Der holden Zeit, da alles Sehnen schlief. Einer von uns wird's bitter dann empfinden, Daß Lieb' und Glück aus seinem Dasein wich, Daß nur noch Pflichten ihn ans Leben binden: [O Gott, o Gott, erbarm']1 des Einen dich!
Confirmed with Lieder und Sprüche aus dem Volke für das Volk von Frank Siller, München, Verlag von J. A. Finsterlin, 1887, page 74.
1 Goldbeck: "O Gott, erbarme dich, erbarm'"Text Authorship:
- by Frank Siller (1835 - 1901), "Einst kommt der Tag" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Ella Wheeler Wilcox (1850 - 1919), "One of us two", written 1886, appears in Sonnets of Sorrow and Triumph
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 ]
The text above (or a part of it) is used in the following settings:
- by Robert Goldbeck (1839 - 1908), "Einst kommt der Tag"
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2021-04-12
Line count: 16
Word count: 116