by Charles, Duc d'Orléans (1394 - 1465)
Translation by Louisa Stuart Costello (1799 - 1870)
Is she not passing fair?
Language: English after the Middle French
Chosen for Diff
Is she not passing fair, She whom I love so well? On earth, in sea, or air, Where may her equal dwell? Oh, tell me, ye who dare To brave her beauty's spell, Is she not passing fair, She whom I love so well? Whether she speak or sing, Be jocund or serene, Alike in ev'rything, Is she not beauty's queen? Then let the world declare, Let all who see her tell, That she is passing fair, She whom I love so well!
Text Authorship:
- by Louisa Stuart Costello (1799 - 1870) [an adaptation] [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Middle French by Charles, Duc d'Orléans (1394 - 1465), "Chançon"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Edward Elgar, Sir (1857 - 1934), "Is she not passing fair?", 1886, published 1908 [ voice and piano ], London, Boosey & Hawkes [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-16
Line count: 16
Word count: 84