by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861)
First time he kissed me, he but only...
Language: English
First time he kissed me, he but only kissed The fingers of this hand wherewith I write, And ever since it grew more clean and white, -- Slow to world greetings, quick with its "Oh, list," When the angels speak. A ring of amethyst I could not wear here plainer to my sight Than that first kiss. The second passed in height The first, and sought the forehead, and half missed, Half falling on the hair. O beyond meed! That was the chrism of love which love's own crown, With sanctifying sweetness, did precede. The third upon my lips was folded down In perfect, purple state; since when, indeed, I have been proud and said: "My Love, my own."
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Text Authorship:
- by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), no title, appears in Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 38, first published 1847-50 [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 Frederic Balazs (b. 1920), "First time he kissed me, he but only kissed", published 1960 [ high voice and string quartet or chamber orchestra ], from Sonnets after Elizabeth Barrett Browning [sung text not yet checked]
- by Florence Newell Barbour (1867 - 1946), "Love's ecstasy", published 1922 [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eleanor Everest Freer (1864 - 1942), "First time he kissed me, he but only kissed", published 1910 [ medium voice and piano ], from Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 38 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eduard von Hebra (1891 - 1958), "Achtundzwanzigstes "Sonett aus dem Portugiesischen"", op. 2 no. 2, copyright © 1927 [ voice and piano ], from Zwei "Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen" der Elizabeth Barret-Browning, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Charles) Alfred de Kaiser (1872 - 1917), "Three Kisses", published 1912 [ soprano, piano ], from Seven Sonnets from the Portuguese [sung text not yet checked]
- by Lynn Steele (1951 - 2002), "Sonnet XXXVIII" [ soprano and flute ], from Three Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926) , no title, written 1908, appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 38 ; composed by Maria Bach, as Emilie Maria von Bach, Viktor Ullmann.
Researcher for this page: Lynn Steele
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 118