by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861)
Translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
Thou hast thy calling to some...
Language: English
Thou hast thy calling to some palace-floor, Most gracious singer of high poems! where The dancers will break footing, from the care Of watching up thy pregnant lips for more. And dost thou lift this house's latch too poor For hand of thine? and canst thou think and bear To let thy music drop here unaware In folds of golden fulness at my door? Look up and see the casement broken in, The bats and owlets builders in the roof! My cricket chirps against thy mandolin. Hush, call no echo up in further proof Of desolation! there's a voice within That weeps... as thou must sing... alone, aloof.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), appears in Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 4, first published 1847 [author's text not yet checked 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 Frederic Balazs (b. 1920), "Thou hast thy calling to some palace-floor", published 1960 [ high voice and string quartet or chamber orchestra ], from Sonnets after Elizabeth Barrett Browning [sung text not yet checked]
- by Celius Dougherty (1902 - 1986), "Thou hast thy calling to some palace-floor", 1975 [ soprano and piano ], from Eglantine and Ivy [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eleanor Everest Freer (1864 - 1942), "Thou hast thy calling to some palace-floor", published 1907 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Oskar Morawetz (b. 1917), "Sonnet IV: Thou hast thy calling to some palace-floor", 1955 [ high voice and piano ], from Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926) , no title, appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 4, first published 1908 ; composed by Egon Joseph Wellesz.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 108
Du bist da droben im Palast begehrt
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
Du bist da droben im Palast begehrt, erlauchter Sänger lauterer Gedichte, wo Tänzer stillstehn, deinem Angesichte und deinem Munde durstend zugekehrt. Und es gefällt dir, dieser dürftigen Tür Griff anzurühren? Ist es auszuhalten, daß deiner Fülle Klang in goldnen Falten vor eine Türe fällt, zu arm dafür? Sieh die zerbrochnen Fenster. Fledermaus und Eule baun im Dach. Und meine Grille zirpt gegen deine Mandoline. Stille. Das Echo macht noch trauriger das Haus, drin eine Stimme weint, so wie die deine da draußen singen muß ... allein, alleine.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 4, first published 1908 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), appears in Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 4, first published 1847
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), "Du bist da droben im Palast begehrt", op. 52 no. 3 (1934), published 1935 [ soprano and string quartet ], from Sonette der Elisabeth Barrett-Browning, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2004-05-04
Line count: 14
Word count: 86