The lost chord
Language: English
Available translation(s): LIT
Seated one day at the organ,
I was weary and ill-at-ease;
And my fingers wandered idly
Over the noisy keys.
I know not what I was playing
Or what I was dreaming then,
But I struck one chord of music
Like the sound of a great Amen.
It flooded the crimson twilight
Like the close of an angel's psalm,
And it lay on my fevered spirit
With a touch of infinite calm.
It quieted pain and sorrow
Like love overcoming strife;
It seemed the harmonious echo
From our discordant life.
It linked all perplexèd meanings
Into one perfect peace,
And trembled away into silence
As if it were loth to cease.
I have sought, but I seek it vainly,
That one lost chord divine,
Which came from the soul of the organ
And entered into mine.
It may be that death's bright angel
Will speak in that chord again;
It may be that only in heav'n
I shall hear that grand Amen.
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- LIT Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) [singable] (Giedrius Prunskus) , "Prarastas akordas", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Ted Perry
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 162
Prarastas akordas
Language: Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba)  after the English
Vakarą rudenio niūrų
Aš vargonais pagrot bandžiau,
Mano pirštai tingiai kūrė
Muziką patys sau.
Aš nežinau, ką galvojau
Ir ką aš mąsčiau tada,
Bet staiga akordas suskambo
Toks galingas, kaip malda.
Jis kambarį mano užliejo,
Lyg garsai angelų giesmės,
Mano sielą pripildė gėrio
Ligi pat gelmių širdies.
Jis sielvartą nuramino,
Lyg meilės karštos liepsna,
Lyg aidas slapčia atklydęs
Iš slėnio vakare.
Jis mano pasaulį suliejo
Tobuliausion taikon
Ir tuoj tyloje jis ištirpo,
Pradingo lyg nenorom.
Aš ieškojau, bet neradau jo,
Akordo to nuostabaus,
Kuris mano sielą išgydė
Suskambęs iš dangaus.
Galbūt šį akordą mirštant
Man angelas vėl giedos
Ir vartams dangaus atsivėrus
Sklis garsas šios maldos.
Authorship:
- Singable translation from English to Lithuanian (Lietuvių kalba) copyright © 2022 by Giedrius Prunskus, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2022-12-14
Line count: 28
Word count: 106