by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852)
When Time, who steals our years away
Language: English
When Time, who steals our years away, Shall steal our pleasures too, The memory of the past will stay And half our joys renew. Then, Chloe, when thy beauty's flower Shall feel the wintry air, Remembrance shall recall the hour When thou alone wert fair. Then talk no more of future gloom, Our joys shall always last; For hope shall brighten days to come, And mem'ry gild the past. Come, Chloe, fill the genial bowl, I drink to love and thee: Thou never canst decay in soul, Thou'lt still be young for me. And as thy lips the tear-drop chase, Which on thy cheek they find, So hope shall steal away the trace That sorrow leaves behind! Then fill the bowl,—away with gloom, Our joys shall always last; For hope shall brighten days to come, And memory gild the past. But mark, at thought of future years, When love shall lose its soul, My Chloe drops her timid tears, They mingle with the bowl! How like this bowl of wine, my fair, Our loving life shall fleet, Though tears may sometimes mingle there, The draught will still be sweet! Then fill the bowl—away with gloom, Our joys shall always last; For hope shall brighten days to come, And memory gild the past.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with The Lyre, The lyre: a collection of the most approved Scottish, English, and Irish songs, Oxford University, 1824, p.205
Text Authorship:
- by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852), no title [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 Agnes Tyrrell (1846 - 1883), "When Time, Who Steals" [ voice and piano ], Riley Dunbar
Score: iMSLP [external link]  [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2026-03-18
Line count: 36
Word count: 212