by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852)
Oh! breathe not his name, let it sleep...
Language: English
Oh! breathe not his name, let it sleep in the shade, Where cold and unhonour'd his relics are laid: Sad, silent, and dark, be the tears that we shed, As the night-dew that falls on the grass o'er his head. But the night-dew that falls, though in silence it weeps, Shall brighten with verdure the grave where he sleeps; And the tear that we shed, though in secret it rolls, Shall long keep his memory green in our souls.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852), "Elegy", on the death of Robert Emmet. [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 Herbert Hughes (1882 - 1937), "Oh, Breathe Not His Name" [ voice and piano ], Air, in memory of Dennis MacSweeney [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by Ellie Mac Swiney (1845 - 1934) ; composed by Henri Duparc, Jeff Smallman.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-10-19
Line count: 8
Word count: 79