by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824)
Translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Oh! had my fate been join'd with thine
Language: English
Oh! had my fate been join'd with thine, As once this pledge appear'd a token, These follies had not then been mine, For then my peace had not been broken. To thee these early faults I owe, To thee the [wise and old]1 reproving: They know my sins, but do not know 'T was thine to break the [bonds]2 of loving. For once my soul like thine was pure, And all its rising fires could smother; But now thy vows no more endure, Bestow'd by thee upon another; Perhaps his peace I could destroy, And spoil the blisses that await him; Yet let my rival smile in joy For thy dear sake I cannot hate him. Ah! since thy angel form is gone, My heart no more can rest with any; But what it sought in thee alone Attempts, alas! to find in many. Then, fare thee well, deceitful maid, 'T were vain and fruitless to regret thee; Nor hope, nor memory yield their aid, But Pride may teach me to forget thee. Yet all this giddy waste of years, This tiresome round of palling pleasures; These varied loves, these matron's fears, These thoughtless strains to passion's measures -- If thou wert mine, had all been hush'd: -- This cheek now pale from early riot, With passion's hectic ne'er had flush'd, But bloom'd in calm domestic quiet. Yes, once the rural scene was sweet, For Nature seem'd to smile before thee; And once my heart abhorr'd deceit, -- For then it beat but to adore thee. But now I [seek]3 for other joys: To think would drive my soul to madness; In thoughtless throngs and empty noise, I conquer half my bosom's sadness. [Yet]4, even in these a thought will steal, In spite of every vain endeavour, -- And fiends might pity what I feel, -- To know that thou art lost for ever.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with The Poetical Works of Lord Byron, London: Oxford University Press Humphrey Milford, 1933, pages 42-43.
1 Beethoven: "old and wise"2 Beethoven: "bands"
3 Beethoven: "ask"
4 Beethoven: "Yes"
Authorship:
- by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "To a lady" [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 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827), "Oh, had my fate been join'd with thine", op. 108 (25 schottische Lieder mit Begleitung von Pianoforte, Violine und Violoncello) no. 12 (1815) [ voice, violin, violoncello, piano ], Berlin: A.M. Schlesinger'schen Buch- und Musikhandlung [sung text checked 2 times]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Ernst Eckstein) , "An ein Mädchen", subtitle: "(Nach dem Englischen des Lord Byron.)", appears in In Moll und Dur, in 3. Dritte Abtheilung
- GER German (Deutsch) (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist) , "O hätte doch dies goldne Pfand"
Research team for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2004-08-03
Line count: 44
Word count: 309
O hätte doch dies goldne Pfand
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English
O hätte doch dies goldne Pfand Mein Los mit deinem fest verbunden! Nicht Leichtsinn hätt' ich dann gekannt, Mein Friede wäre nie verschwunden! Ach, meiner Sünde schwere Schuld trägst Du! Du brachst der Liebe Bande! Sie kostet mich der Eltern Huld, Sie riss mich früh zu Weh und Schande! Einst war mein Herz wie Deines rein, Ertötend jedes schnöde Feuer; Doch Deine Treue blieb nicht mein, Ein And'rer ward dir werth und theuer! Gern stört' ich seines Lebens Ruh, Säh' ihn von jedem Glück verlassen! Doch lächl' er froh der Zukunft zu: Wie könnt ich, was du liebest hassen? Seit sich Dein Engelbild gewandt, Muss gramerfüllt ich unstät wandern. Ach, was allein in Dir ich fand, Such' ich vergebens nun in Andern! So lebe wohl denn, falsche Maid! Vergeblich fliessen meine Zähren Weg Hoffnung, weg Erinnerungsleid, Mein Stolz soll mich vergessen lehren! Der wüsten Jahre taumelnd Drehn, Ermattender Genüsse Freuden Erschrockner Mütter fruchtlos Flehn, Des Liebelns Höllenlust und Leiden, Dies Angesicht von Sünden bleich, Von Glut verzehrt, dem Tod verschrieben: Nie kannt' ich's! Rein war ich und reich An stillem Glück, mit Dir geblieben! Einst lächelt'uns so süss Natur, Die Nachtigall schien dir zu flöten; Mein Herz kannt' keiner Falschheit Spur, Es schlug im Stolz, dich anzubeten! Jetzt lachen andre Wonnen hier: Verwerflich Thun wehrt ernstem Denken; Dies kann nur Wahnsinns Wüthen mir, Nur jenes mir Vergessen schenken! So stähl' ich denn dies arme Herz; Das für vergebne Reu geboren, Selbst Teufel weinen meinem Schmerz, Daß ich auf ewig sie verloren!
View original text (without footnotes)
1 Beethoven (when the text is repeated as stanza 12): "Verzweiflung muss"
Research team for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
1 Beethoven (when the text is repeated as stanza 12): "Verzweiflung muss"
Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, "O hätte doch dies goldne Pfand" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "To a lady"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Research team for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2004-08-18
Line count: 44
Word count: 251