Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Believe me, if all those endearing young charms, Which I gaze on so fondly to-day, Were to change by to-morrow, and fleet in my arms, Like [fairy-gifts]1, fading away! Thou wouldst still be ador'd as this moment thou art, Let thy loveliness fade as it will; And, around the dear ruin, each wish of my heart Would entwine itself verdantly still! It is not while beauty and youth are thine own, And thy cheeks unprofan'd by a tear, That the fervour and faith of a soul can be known, To which time will but make thee more dear! [No, the]2 heart, that has truly lov'd, never forgets, But as truly loves on to the close; As the sun-flower turns on her god, when he sets, The same look which she turn'd when he rose!
V. Herbert sets stanza 1
About the headline (FAQ)
View text without footnotes1 Herbert: "fairy wings"
2 Stevenson: "Oh! the"
Text Authorship:
- by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852), no title, written 1808 [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 Victor Herbert (1859 - 1924), "Believe me, if all those endearing young charms", first performed 1908, stanza 1 [ voice and piano ], from The Bards of Ireland, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Roger Quilter (1877 - 1953), "Believe me if all those endearing young charms", published 1947 [ voice and piano ], from The Arnold Book of Old Songs, no. 4, London, Boosey & Hawkes [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Andrew Stevenson (1761 - 1833), "Believe me if all those endearing young charms" [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 Ignaz Brüll.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Robert Grady
This text was added to the website: 2004-06-12
Line count: 16
Word count: 137
Crois-moi, si tous ces charmes de jeunesse si attachants, Que je contemple aujourd’hui avec tant d’amour, Devaient changer dès demain et s’évanouir entre mes bras, Tels des [dons de fées]1, se fanant peu à peu ! Tu serais toujours adorée comme tu l’es en cet instant, Laisse ta beauté s’évanouir à son gré ; Et, autour de cette chère ruine, chaque désir de mon cœur S’entrelacerait encore, verdoyant ! Ce n’est pas tant que la beauté et la jeunesse sont tiennes, Et que tes joues ne sont pas profanées par une larme, Que l’on peut connaître la ferveur et la foi d’une âme, Pour lesquelles le temps ne fera que te rendre plus chère ! [Non, le]2 cœur qui a vraiment aimé n’oublie jamais, Mais aime véritablement jusqu’à la fin ; Tout comme le tournesol se tourne vers son dieu, quand il se couche, Avec le même regard qu’il lui portait à son lever !
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of titles:
"Believe me if all those endearing young charms" = "Crois-moi, si tous ces charmes de jeunesse si attachants"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2026 by Pierre Mathé, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in English by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852), no title, written 1808
This text was added to the website: 2026-05-30
Line count: 16
Word count: 149