When the lamp went out by my bed I woke up with the early birds. I sat at my open window with a fresh wreath on my loose hair. The young traveller came along the road in the rosy mist of the morning. A pearl chain was on his neck, and the sun's rays fell on his crown. He stopped before my door and asked me with an eager cry, "Where is she?" For very shame I could not say, "She is I, young traveller, she is I." It was dusk and the lamp was not lit. I was listlessly braiding my hair. The young traveller came on his chariot in the glow of the setting sun. His horses were foaming at the mouth, and there was dust on his garment. He alighted at my door and asked in a tired voice, "Where is she?" For very shame I could not say, "She is I, weary traveller, she is I." It is an April night. The lamp is burning in my room. The breeze of the south comes gently. The noisy parrot sleeps in its cage. My bodice is of the colour of the peacock's throat, and my mantle is green as young grass. I sit upon the floor at the window watching the deserted street. Through the dark night I keep humming, "She is I, despairing traveller, she is I."
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in The Gardener, no. 8 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941) [text unavailable]
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 Jan Śliwiński (1884 - 1950) , no title, appears in Rabindranath Tagore. Der Gärtner, no. 8 ; composed by Willem de Haan.
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Maximilian Oseyevich Steinberg.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-11-08
Line count: 30
Word count: 231
Kogda svet u lozha pogas, s pervoj ptichkoj ja probudilas' [... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...] Vecher byl, ne gorel jeshche svet, v zabyt'i raspletala ja kosy. [... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...] Aprel'skoj nochi mgla. Gorit svetil'nik nado mnoj. [... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...]
M. Steinberg sets stanza 1 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
M. Steinberg sets stanza 2 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
M. Steinberg sets stanza 3 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
About the headline (FAQ)
Show a transliteration: Default | DIN | GOST
Note on TransliterationsShow untransliterated (original) text
Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in The Gardener, no. 8
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941) [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Maximilian Oseyevich Steinberg (1883 - 1946), "Когда свет у ложа погас, с первой птичкой я пробудилась", op. 15 no. 1 (1925), stanza 1 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Девушка и путник (Devushka i putnik), no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Maximilian Oseyevich Steinberg (1883 - 1946), "Вечер был, не горел еще свет, в забытьи расплетала я косы", op. 15 no. 2 (1925), stanza 2 [ mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra ], from Девушка и путник (Devushka i putnik), no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Maximilian Oseyevich Steinberg (1883 - 1946), "Апрельской ночи мгла. Горит светильник надо мной", op. 15 no. 3 (1925), stanza 3 [ mezzo-soprano and chamber orchestra ], from Девушка и путник (Devushka i putnik), no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2023-10-30
Line count: 30
Word count: 53