by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Translation by Clifford Bax (1886 - 1962)

Lost love
Language: English  after the Chinese (中文) 
Now have I bidden farewell 
To the Spring, that is ah! how fleet
And a long farewell to my lover, 
Alas! how long is the pain!
Truly the flowers in a year 
will blossom afresh at my feet.
But never the season return 
When I and my darling shall meet.
Who gave me a gift so precious, 
But left me to love it in vain?
The Master of Magic who sent it, 
Ah! surely could send it again.
If only to darken the darkness, 
O Thou in Thy heavens above,
Why dost Thou light for a moment
The lamp of a beautiful thing?
Who is there now that will carry
My little winegourd for love,
When I go next year to the meadow
To look on the joy of the Spring?

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Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):


Researcher for this page: Virginia Knight

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 131