by Anne Hunter (1742 - 1821)
To the Aeolian Harp
Language: English
Available translation(s): FRE
Harp of the winds! In airy measure Thy strings when viewless fingers move, Unfolding all thy tuneful treasure, Thy cadence wild I dearly love. Refrain: The sounds, all earthly sounds excelling, Our wand'ring thoughts to heav'n recall; Now softly sighing, loudly swelling, Lost in many a dying fall. Harp of the winds! While, pensive musing, I mark thy deep impassion'd strain, When trees their summer beauty losing, With yellow leaves bestrew the plain. (Refrain) Harp of the winds! While, faintly beaming, Yon moon hangs o'er the ruined tower, And flitting shadows dimly gleaming, Seem subject to thy magic power. (Refrain)
Authorship:
- by Anne Hunter (1742 - 1821) [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), "To the Aeolian Harp", WoO. 155 (26 Walisische Lieder) no. 9 (1809-10) [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "À la harpe éolienne", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Georg Pertz) , "An die Äolsharfe"
Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani
This text was added to the website: 2006-01-11
Line count: 19
Word count: 100