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by Joanna Baillie (1762 - 1851)
Translation Singable translation by Georg Pertz (1830 - 1870)

Sweet power of song
Language: English 
Sweet power of Song! That canst impart,
To lowland swain or mountaineers,
A gladness thrilling trough the heart,
A joy so tender and so dear:
Sweet Power! That on a foreign strand
Canst the rough soldier's bosom move,
With feelings of his native land,
As gentle as infant's love.

Sweet Power! That makes youthful heads
With thistle, leek, or shamrock crown'd,
Nod proudly as the carol sheds
Its spirit through the social round.
Sweet Power! That cheer's the daily toil
Of cottage maid, or beldame poor,
The ploughman on the furrow'd soil,
Or herdboy on the lonely moor.

Or he, by bards the shepherd hight,
Who mourns his maiden's broken tye,
'Till the sweet plaint, in woe's despite,
Hath made a bliss of agony.
Sweet power of Song! Thanks flow to thee
From every kind and gentle breast!
Let Erin's Cambria's minstrels be
With Burn's tuneful spirit blest!

Text Authorship:

  • by Joanna Baillie (1762 - 1851), "Sweet power of Song!" [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 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827), "Sweet power of song", WoO. 152 (25 irische Lieder) no. 2, G. 223 no. 2 (1810/3) [ vocal duet with violin, violoncello, and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • GER German (Deutsch) [singable] (Georg Pertz) , "Gesangesmacht"


Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2004-12-10
Line count: 24
Word count: 148

Gesangesmacht
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
 Gesangesmacht! Du schleichst dich ein,
 Geheimnisvoll in jede Brust,
 Entzückensschauer ihr zu weihn,
 In ihr zu wecken sanfte Lust.
 Gesang, du, der auf fremden strand
 Des rauen Kriegers Busen rührt,
 Zum Traum vom lieben Heimatland
 Ihn sanft wie Kindesliebe führt.

 Du, der die Stirn der Kinderschar
 Mit Distel, Lauch und Kleeblatt krönt
 Und stolz sie nicken lasst das Haar
 Zum Takt des Lieds, das lüstig tönt.
 Der Trost dem armen Mütterlein
 Zum sauren Tagwerk haucht ins Ohr,
 Dem Pflüger auf durchfurchtem Hain,
 Dem Hirtenkind auf ödem Moor.

 Dem Schäfer, dessen Herz verzagt
 In hoffnungsloser Liebe glimmt,
 Bis du so süß sein Weh beklagst,
 Daß Leid in Seligkeit verschwimmt.
 Gesangesmacht! Dank strömt dir zu
 Von jedem Busen sanft und rein;
 Laß Irlands, Englands Sänger du
 Gleich Burns mit Geist gesegnet sein!

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation by Georg Pertz (1830 - 1870), "Gesangesmacht" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in English by Joanna Baillie (1762 - 1851), "Sweet power of Song!"
    • Go to the text page.

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 ]


Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2004-12-10
Line count: 24
Word count: 131

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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