When each tie is torn asunder,
When the soul in sorrow bow'd
Hears unmoved the distant thunder,
Rolling 'neath the sombre cloud;
When by ev'ry bliss surrounded,
Still o'er human ills we brood,
Then is music's spell unbounded,
Can it banish Solitude.1

Vain were nature's charms created,
Vain the mirth-inspiring bowl,
If with social pleasures mated
Darkness [veil'd]2 the human soul;
But with God-like friendship glowing
If with mental light endued,
Hearts unite in love o'erflowing,
Banished thence is solitude.1

View text without footnotes

Confirmed with Poems by Charles V. Incledon, Vienna, Published and sold (for the author) by Ignatius Klang, 1842, page 58.

¹ Kossmaly adds "O Solitude!"
² Kossmaly: "veils"

Text Authorship:

• by Charles Benjamin Incledon (1763 - 1826), "Solitude", appears in Miscellaneous Poems [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 Carl Kossmaly (1812 - 1893), "Solitude" [ voice and piano ], from 3 Gesänge von Ch. Incledon für eine Singstimme mit Pianoforte = Three Songs written by Charles V. Incledon, no. 1, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

• Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Carl Kossmaly.
  • Go to the text.
    

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2026-07-31
Line count: 16
Word count: 83