Translation by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824)
A spirit pass'd before me
Language: English after the Latin
A spirit pass'd before me: I beheld The face of immortality unveil'd -- Deep sleep came down on every eye save mine -- And there it stood, -- all formless -- but divine; Along my bones the creeping flesh did quake; And as my damp hair stiffen'd, thus it spake: 'Is man more just that God? Is man more pure Than he who deems even Seraphs insecure? Creatures of clay -- vain dwellers in the dust! The moth survives you, and are ye more just? Things of day! you wither ere the night, Heedless and blind to Wisdom's wasted light!'
Authorship
- by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "A spirit pass'd before me", appears in Hebrew Melodies, no. 28, first published 1815 [an adaptation] [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
- a text in Latin by Bible or other Sacred Texts , Job 4
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)
- by Milton Barnes , "A spirit pass'd before me", 1958 [high voice and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
- by William Richard Bexfield (1824 - 1853), "A spirit pass'd before me", op. 4 no. ?, published 1848 [bass and piano], from Musica di Camera [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
- by Harry Collings Deacon (1822 - 1890), "A spirit pass'd before me", published 1855 [low voice and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
- by Arthur H. Gutman , "A spirit pass'd before me", published 1940 [voice and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
- by Clarence S. Hill , "A spirit pass'd before me", published 1911 [voice and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
- by Isaac Nathan (1790 - 1864), "A spirit pass'd before me" [voice and piano], from A Selection of Hebrew Melodies No. I, no. 28 [ sung text checked 1 time]
- by Howard D. Salins , "A spirit pass'd before me", published 1906 [voice and piano] [ sung text not yet checked against a primary source]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Franz Theremin (1780 - 1846) , "Eliphas Gesicht, aus dem Hiob", appears in Hebräische Gesänge, first published 1820 ENG FRE ; composed by Johann Karl Gottfried Loewe.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Alexis Paulin Pâris) , "Un esprit a passé devant moi", appears in Mélodies hébraïques, no. 28
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-13
Line count: 12
Word count: 95