Oft in the stilly night | Oft in the stilly night

by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852)

Oft in the stilly night

Language: English

Our translations: CAT FRE

Oft in the stilly night,
  Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Fond Memory brings the light
  Of other days around me;
    The smiles, the tears, 
    Of boyhood's years,
  The words of love then spoken;
    The eyes that shone, 
    Now dimmed and gone,
  The cheerful hearts now broken!
Thus in the stilly night,
  Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Sad Memory brings the light
  Of other days around me.

When I remember all
  The friends so linked together
I've seen around me fall,
  Like leaves in wintry weather,
    I feel like one
    Who treads alone
  Some banquet-hall deserted,
    Whose lights are fled, 
    Whose garlands dead,
  And all but he departed!
Thus in the stilly night,
  Ere slumber's chain has bound me,
Sad Memory brings the light
  Of other days around me.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with A Library of Poetry and Song: Being Choice Selections from the Best Poets. With an Introduction by William Cullen Bryant, New York, J. B. Ford and Company, 1871, page 227.

Text Authorship:

by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852), "Oft in the stilly night", appears in National Airs, first published 1818 [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 (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Oft in the stilly night" [sung text checked 1 time]
by Cecil Armstrong Gibbs (1889 - 1960), "The light of other days", published 1931 [ satb chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
by David Nyvall, Jr. , "Oft in the stilly night", published 1923 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Charles Hubert Hastings Parry, Sir (1848 - 1918), "Oft in the stilly night", 1866, first performed 1867 [ four-part chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
by William E. H. Potter , "Oft in the stilly night", published 1907, first performed 1867 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "Oft In The Stilly Night", op. 452 (1956) [sung text not yet checked]
by John Andrew Stevenson (1761 - 1833), "Oft in the stilly night" [sung text checked 1 time]
by Rudolph T. Werther (1896 - 1986), "The light of other days", 1945-70, first performed 1867 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Georg von der Vring (1889 - 1968) ; composed by Harald Genzmer.
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Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation possibly by Niklas Müller (1809 - 1875); composed by Joseph Dessauer, Friedrich Hinrichs.
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Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Hermann Kurz (1813 - 1873) , "Oft in der stillen Nacht", subtitle: "Schottische Melodie" ; composed by Friedrich Silcher.
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Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Robert Grady

This text was added to the website: 2004-06-13
Line count: 28
Word count: 130