Old Age | Solo voices. Tenor, Baritone and Bass. Old people

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by Axel Olrik (1864 - 1917)

Translation © by Grant Hicks

Alderdom (Old age)

Language: Latin

Our translations: ENG

Solo voices, tenor, baritone and bass. Oldinge (Very old people):
 Amor est pax mea,
 est aurora mea vesperi,
 opes mihi largitus, ut ipse largiar.
 Amor est pax mea.

Choir. Engle (Angels):
 Lucis fons ex humili,
 atrae terrae fulgur,
 mille fracta radiis
 mira fax divina!

Choir with soprano and tenor solo:
 Ecce! Audite! Coeli cantus
 terrae campi reboant,
 lucis sublimes regiones
 vox amoris personat.

Choir. Alle (Tutti):
 Amor mihi vitam dedit,
 replet desideria,
 scaturigo est virtutis,
 pax amoris nomen est.
 Lucis fons ex humili
 igne splendet coeli,
 amor alme, unice,
 ave! tibi grates!

Text Authorship:

by Axel Olrik (1864 - 1917) [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 Carl Nielsen (1865 - 1931), "Alderdom (Old age)", FS. 21 no. 4 (1896), from Hymnus Amoris, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Grant Hicks) , "Old Age", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Grant Hicks [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 92

Old Age

Language: English after the Latin

Solo voices. Tenor, Baritone and Bass. Old people.
 Love is my peace,
 it is my sunset,
 treasure given me so that I may pass it on.
 Love is my peace.

Choir. Angels.
 Source of light from the depths,
 lightning from the black earth,
 broken into a thousand rays,
 the wondrous divine flame!

Choir with soprano and tenor solo.
 Behold! Listen! The song of heaven
 makes the fields of earth resound,
 the lofty regions of light
 ring with the voice of love.

Choir. All.
 Love gives me life,
 fulfills desires,
 is the bubbling spring of virtue,
 the name of love is peace.
 The source of light from the depths 
 shines with the fire of heaven,
 nurturing love, the unparalleled,
 hail! thanks be to you!

Text Authorship:

Translation from Latin to English copyright © 2025 by Grant Hicks, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in Latin by Axel Olrik (1864 - 1917)
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2025-08-13
Line count: 24
Word count: 124