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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
Translation by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Why do you lovely virgins mourn
Language: English 
Why do you lovely virgins mourn,
Like drooping lilies wet with dew?
And why around yon marble urn,
Spring’s choicest roses do they strew?
Alas! the sweetest rose is gone!
By Shannon's stream it fell;
The brightest star that ever shone.
Hath bid the sickly earth farewell.

Of Roderick's noble race was she,
The gentle maid we lov'd so much;
And fair she was as eye could see.
She boasted nature's finest touch;
And mild and comely was the youth 
For whom she fondly sigh'd;
Oh! timid love and heavenly truth 
Seem'd in this glowing pair allied.

But sad and fatal was the morn 
That e'er he join'd the martial throng;
Alas! from thence was no return,
And loud was heard the funeral song.
Her eye was fix'd in silent grief,
Nor long was sorrow's dream;
For death soon brought the wish'd relief,
And pluck'd the rose by Shannon's stream.

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, "Why do you lovely virgins mourn" [author's text checked 1 time 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):

    [ None yet in the database ]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Peter Cornelius.
      • Go to the text.

Researcher for this page: Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2021-03-08
Line count: 24
Word count: 150

Irisch
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
Was trauern doch die Mägdelein
Gleich schlanken Lilien taubenetzt,
Was streu'n sie um den Marmorstein
Des Lenzes rote Rosen jetzt?
Die schönste Rose, die geblüht
am Shannonstrom, verging;
Der Sterne hellster ist verglüht,
Ihm war die Erde zu gering.

Sie war aus Rodrichs edlem Haus,
Um die wir weinend tragen Leid;
Natur goss alle Gaben aus,
Zu schmücken reich ihr irdisch Kleid.
Auch schön war er, dem bräutlich scheu
Ihr Herz ergeben war.
O, reine Lieb' und Himmelstreu'
Erschien vereint in diesem Paar.

Doch trüb' und traurig war der Tag,
Der ihn zum Streit, zum Sterben rief.
O, bei beflorter Trommeln Schlag,
Wie klang sein Grablied dumpf und tief!
So lang' ihr Auge Tränen fand,
Weint' es ihm treulich nach,
Bis leis' der Tod mit sanfter Hand
Am Shannonstrom die Rose brach.

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in English by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , "Why do you lovely virgins mourn"
    • 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 Peter Cornelius (1824 - 1874), "Irisch", 1854 [ soprano and alto ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

  • ENG English [singable] (Margaret E. Bache) , "By Shannon's Stream"


Researcher for this page: Johann Winkler

This text was added to the website: 2021-03-08
Line count: 24
Word count: 132

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