Dear heart, why will you use me so? | Dear heart, why will you use me so?

by James Joyce (1882 - 1941)

Dear heart, why will you use me so?

Language: English

Our translations: DUT FRE

Dear heart, why will you use me so?
    Dear eyes that gently me upbraid, 
Still are you beautiful -- - but O,
    How is your beauty raimented!

Through the clear mirror of your eyes,
    Through the soft sigh of kiss to kiss, 
Desolate winds assail with cries
    The shadowy garden where love is.

And soon shall love dissolved be
    When over us the wild winds blow -- - 
But you, dear love, too dear to me,
    Alas! why will you use me so?

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

by James Joyce (1882 - 1941), no title, appears in Chamber Music, no. 29, first published 1907 [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):

by Ross Lee Finney (1906 - 1997), "Dear heart, why will you use me so?", 1952, published 1985, first performed 1975 [ voice and piano ], from Chamber Music, no. 29, Henmar Press [sung text not yet checked]
by (Aynsley) Eugene Goossens, Sir (1893 - 1962), "Dear heart, why will you use me so?", op. 51 no. 3 (1929), published 1930 [ medium voice and piano ], from Chamber Music, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
by Jack Marius Jarrett (b. 1934), "Dear heart, why will you use me so?", 1962 [ satb chorus and piano ], from Songs about the end of love [sung text not yet checked]
by Colin Sterne , "Dear heart", published 1953 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]

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

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-01-24
Line count: 12
Word count: 79