The Minstrel Boy to the war is gone In the ranks of death you'll find him; His father's sword he [has]1 girded on, And his wild harp slung behind him. "Land of Song", said the warrior bard, "Tho' all the world betrays thee, One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard, One faithful harp shall praise thee". The Minstrel fell! but the foeman's chain Could not bring that proud soul under, The harp he lov'd ne'er spoke again, For he tore its chords asunder; And said, "No chains shall sully thee, Thou soul of love and brav'ry! Thy songs were made for the pure and free, They shall never sound in slav'ry".
V. Herbert sets stanza 1
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Note: some settings of this text use a third verse written by an unknown author during the American Civil War, found here.
1 Herbert: "hath"Text Authorship:
- by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852), "The Minstrel Boy", appears in Irish Melodies [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 (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "The Minstrel Boy" [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Victor Herbert (1859 - 1924), "The Minstrel Boy", first performed 1908, stanza 1 [ voice and piano ], from The Bards of Ireland, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Cyril Meir Scott (1879 - 1970), "Minstrel Boy", published 1922 [ voice and piano ], London: Elkin [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Andrew Stevenson (1761 - 1833), "The Minstrel-Boy" [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Swedish (Svenska), a translation by Carl Rupert Nyblom (1832 - 1907) , "Den unge Barden", appears in Irländska Melodier af Thomas Moore ; composed by Ivar Hallström.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Pierre Mathé) , "Le jeune ménestrel", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Ernst Eckstein) , "Der Sängerknab'", subtitle: "(Nach dem Englischen des Thomas Moore.)", appears in In Moll und Dur, in 3. Dritte Abtheilung
Researcher for this page: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 113
Es zog zum Kampfe der Sängerknab', In den Reihen des Todes zu streiten; Vom Nacken hing ihm die Harfe herab Und die blitzende Klinge zur Seiten. "Du Land des Gesanges," so sprach der Held, "Wenn Alle Dich aufgegeben, -- "Ein Schwert soll Dich schützen im Kampf mit der Welt, "Ein Lied dich ewig erheben!" Er fiel; -- doch die Seele des Wackren bezwang Kein Feind im blutigen Streiten. Nie wieder ertönte der Harfe Klang, Er zerriß im Tode die Saiten. Er sprach: "Dich schände kein bübischer Hohn, "Du Wonne der Kühnen und Braven; "Nur Freien gebührte Dein prächtiger Ton: "Er schweige vor Knechten und Sklaven!"
Confirmed with Ernst Eckstein, In Moll und Dur, Leipzig: Verlag von Johann Friedrich Hartknoch, 1877, page 180.
Text Authorship:
- by Ernst Eckstein (1845 - 1900), "Der Sängerknab'", subtitle: "(Nach dem Englischen des Thomas Moore.)", appears in In Moll und Dur, in 3. Dritte Abtheilung [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852), "The Minstrel Boy", appears in Irish Melodies
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 ]
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2022-04-17
Line count: 16
Word count: 103