by Meleager of Gadara (flourished 1st century BCE)
Translation by Dudley Fitts (1903 - 1968)
ὦ Νύξ, ὦ φιλάγρυπνος ἐμοὶ πόθος...
Language: Greek (Ελληνικά)
ὦ Νύξ, ὦ φιλάγρυπνος ἐμοὶ πόθος Ἡλιοδώρας, καὶ † σκολιῶν ὄρθρων κνίσματα δακρυχαρῆ, ἆρα μένει στοργῆς ἐμὰ λείψανα, καὶ τὸ φίλημα μνημόσυνον ψυχρᾷ θάλπετ᾽ ἐν εἰκασίᾳ; ἆρά γ᾽ ἔχει σύγκοιτα τὰ δάκρυα, κἀμὸν ὄνειρον ψυχαπάτην στέρνοις ἀμφιβαλοῦσα φιλεῖ; ἢ νέος ἄλλος ἔρως, νέα παίγνια; μήποτε, λύχνε, ταῦτ᾽ ἐσίδῃς, εἴης δ᾽ ἧς παρέδωκα φύλαξ.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with The Greek Anthology. With an English Translation by. W. R. Paton, London, William Heinemann, Ltd., 1916, No. 166.
Show a transliteration: DIN | ISO 843
Note on TransliterationsAuthorship
- by Meleager of Gadara (flourished 1st century BCE) [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 English, a translation by Dudley Fitts (1903 - 1968) ; composed by Geoffrey Bush.
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Charles-Gaston Levadé.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2020-01-15
Line count: 8
Word count: 53
Night
Language: English after the Greek (Ελληνικά)
O Night, O Night, O sleepless tossing, longing for Heliodora! Poor eyes hot with tears in the lingering white dawn! Is she lonely too? is she dreaming of how I kissed her. And dreaming so, does she turn to kiss the dream of me? Or a new love? a newer toy? Forbid it, lamp! See it never! Did I not set you to guard her? Forbid it! O Night, O Night, O sleepless tossing, longing for Heliodora!
Authorship
- by Dudley Fitts (1903 - 1968) [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
- a text in Greek (Ελληνικά) by Meleager of Gadara (flourished 1st century BCE)
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)
- by Geoffrey Bush (1920 - 1998), "Night", 1964 [ baritone and piano ], from Seven Greek Love Songs, no. 5, Confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-09-16
Line count: 8
Word count: 77