A tragic story | There liv'd a sage in days of yore

Translation by William Makepeace Thackeray (1811 - 1863)

There liv'd a sage in days of yore

Language: English after the German (Deutsch)

There liv'd a sage in days of yore
And he a handsome pigtail wore
But wonder'd much and sorrow'd more,
Because it hung behind him.

He mus'd upon this curious case,
And swore he'd change the pigtail's place,
And have it hanging at his face
Not dangling there behind him

Says he, "The mystery I've found, --
I'll turn me round," --
He turn'd round,
But still it hung behind him.

Then round and round, and out and in,
All day the puzzled sage did spin;
In vain -- it matter'd not a pin --
The pigtail hung behind him.

And right and left, and round about,
And up and down, and in and out,
He turn'd, but still the pigtail stout
Hung steadily behind him.

And though his efforts never slack,
And though he twist, and twirl, and take,
Alas, still faithful to his back,
The pigtail hangs behind him.

About the headline (FAQ)

First published in Fraser's Magazine, May 1838

Text Authorship:

by William Makepeace Thackeray (1811 - 1863), "A tragic story", appears in Five German Ditties, no. 1 [an adaptation] [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

a text in German (Deutsch) by Adelbert von Chamisso (1781 - 1838), "Tragische Geschichte", appears in Lieder und lyrisch epische Gedichte
- 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):

by Seymour Barab (1921 - 2014), "The pigtail", copyright © 1979 [ soprano or tenor, recorder, and guitar ], from Bagatelles, no. 8, New York : Galaxy Music [sung text not yet checked]
by Arthur Bergh (1882 - 1962), "A tragic story", published 1950 [ SATB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "A tragic story", op. 7 no. 2, published 1936 [ children's chorus and piano ], from Friday Afternoons, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
by Frederic Field Bullard (1864 - 1904), "The pigtail", published 1901 [ SATB chorus and piano ad libitum ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Ernest Bullock, Sir (1890 - 1979), "A tragic story", published 1923 [ unison chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by George Whitefield Chadwick (1854 - 1931), "A tragic story", published 1928 [ 2-part SB chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Madeleine Dring (1923 - 1977), "The pigtail", published 1963 [ SS chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by J. Bertram Fox (1881 - 1946), "A tragic tale", published <<1940 [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Henry Franklin Belknap Gilbert (1868 - 1928), "The pigtail", published 1928 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Ann Hamerton , "A tragic story", published 1958 [ SS chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Harold Noble (1903 - 1998), "A tale of long ago", published 1955 [ SATB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
by George Norman Peterkin (1886 - 1982), "A tragic story", published 1951 [ 2-part chorus (soprano, mezzo-soprano) and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Joseph Roff (1910 - 1993), "A tragic story", published 1958 [ soprano, tenor, or baritone solo, four-part chorus (SATBar), and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by David Dick Slater , "A tragic tale", published 1899 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Peter Andrew Tranchell (1922 - 1993), "A tragic story", 1962, first performed 1962 [ SATB chorus with divisi a cappella ], from Thackeray Ditties, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
by Joseph Wardale , "The pigtail", published 1956 [ SSS chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this page: Tom White

This text was added to the website: 2007-10-01
Line count: 24
Word count: 147