by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861)
Translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
I thought once how Theocritus had sung
Language: English
I thought once how Theocritus had sung Of the sweet years, the dear and wished-for years, Who each one in a gracious hand appears To bear a gift for mortals, old or young: And, as I mused it in his antique tongue, I saw, in gradual vision through my tears, The sweet, sad years, the melancholy years, Those of my own life, who by turns had flung A shadow across me. Straightway I was 'ware, So weeping, how a mystic Shape did move Behind me, and drew me backward by the hair; And a voice said in mastery, while I strove, - "Guess now who holds thee!" - "Death," I said. But, there, The silver answer rang, "Not death, but Love."
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), no title, appears in Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 1, first published 1856 [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 Gena Branscombe (1881 - 1977), "I thought once how Theocritus had sung", published 1907 [ medium voice and piano ], from Love in a Life, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895 - 1968), "The sweet sad years", op. 42 no. ? (1926), published 1928 [ medium voice and piano ], from Three Sonnets from the Portuguese [sung text not yet checked]
- by Leon Dallin (b. 1918), "I thought once", 1953 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Three Songs from the Portuguese [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eleanor Everest Freer (1864 - 1942), "I thought once how Theocritus had sung", published 1907 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Charles) Alfred de Kaiser (1872 - 1917), "Not death, but love", published 1912 [ duet for soprano and tenor with piano ], from Seven Sonnets from the Portuguese [sung text not yet checked]
- by Libby Larsen (b. 1950), "I thought once how Theocritus...", 1991 [ soprano and chamber orchestra or piano ], from Sonnets From the Portuguese , no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Louise Juliette Talma (1906 - 1996), "I thought once how Theocritus had sung", 1934 [ voice and piano ], from Five Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926) , no title, written 1908, appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 1 ; composed by Egon Joseph Wellesz.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-12-13
Line count: 14
Word count: 119
Und es geschah mir einst, an Theokrit
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
Und es geschah mir einst, an Theokrit zu denken, der von jenen süßen Jahren gesungen hat und wie sie gütig waren und gebend und geneigt bei jedem Schritt: und wie ich saß, antikischem Gedicht nachsinnend, sah ich durch mein Weinen leise die süßen Jahre, wie sie sich im Kreise aufstellten, traurig, diese von Verzicht lichtlosen Jahre: meine Jahre. Da stand plötzlich jemand hinter mir und riß aus diesem Weinen mich an meinem Haar. Und eine Stimme rief, die furchtbar war: «Rate, wer hält dich so?» - «Der Tod gewiß». - «Die Liebe» - klang es wieder, sanft und nah.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, written 1908, appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 1 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), no title, appears in Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 1, first published 1856
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Egon Joseph Wellesz (1885 - 1974), "Und es geschah mir einst, an Theokrit zu denken", op. 52 no. 1 (1934), published 1935 [ soprano and string quartet ], from Sonette der Elisabeth Barrett-Browning, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-12-13
Line count: 14
Word count: 96