by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824)
Maid of Athens, ere we part
Language: English
Maid of Athens, ere we part, Give, oh give me back my heart! Or, since that has left my breast, Keep it now, and take the rest! Hear my vow before I go, Ζωή μου, σᾶς ἀγαπῶ. By those tresses unconfined, Woo'd by each Ægean wind; By those lids whose jetty fringe Kiss thy soft cheeks' blooming tinge; By those wild eyes like the roe, Ζωή μου, σᾶς ἀγαπῶ. By that lip I long to taste; By that zone-encircled waist; By all the token-flowers that tell What words can never speak so well; By love's alternate joy and woe, Ζωή μου, σᾶς ἀγαπῶ. Maid of Athens! I am gone: Think of me, sweet! when alone. Though I fly to Istambol, Athens holds my heart and soul: Can I cease to love thee? No! Ζωή μου, σᾶς ἀγαπῶ.
J. Barnett sets stanzas 1, 4
J. Coulthard sets stanzas 1-2, 4
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, a Romaunt: and other Poems, seventh Edition, London: John Murray, 1814, pages 207 - 209. Appears in Poems.
Note: Byron translated the Greek refrain as "My life, I love thee." On the Coulthard score, it is translated "My soul, I love thee."
Text Authorship:
- by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "Song", written 1810, appears in Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, a Romaunt: and other Poems, in Poems, first published 1812 [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 Henry Robinson Allen (1809 - 1876), "Maid of Athens", published 1861 [ voice and piano or organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Michael William Balfe (1808 - 1870), "Maid of Athens", published 1869 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John G. Barnett (1802 - 1890), "Maid of Athens", 1825, published 1909, stanzas 1,4 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Pietro Cimino , "Maid of Athens", published 1933 [ voice and piano ], also set in Italian (Italiano) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jean Coulthard (1908 - 2000), "Maid of Athens, ere we part", 1991, stanzas 1-2,4 [ voice and piano ], from Two Byron Songs, no. 2, note: this is circulated as a set, but was not written that way; also the Greek is given phonetically in the score (IPA) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by William Edmondstoune Duncan (1866 - 1920), "Maid of Athens", op. 115 [ voice and piano ], from Six Declamatory Songs [sung text not yet checked]
- by George Vincent Duval , "Maid of Athens", published 1830? [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Lodge Ellerton (1801 - 1873), no title, 1822 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bernard Farebrother , "Maid of Athens", published 1873 [ baritone and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Gounod (1818 - 1893), "The Maid of Athens", CG 406 (1872), first performed 1872 [ voice and piano ], London, Godard, also set in French (Français) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Andre Louis Eugene Guilbert , "My life, I love you", published 1823-4 [ voice and guitar or lyre ], from Twelve English Songs [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Horsley (1774 - 1858), "Maid of Athens", published c1814 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by H. Kalliwoda , "Maid of Athens", op. 7, published 1863 [ tenor and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by George Kiallmark (1781 - 1835), "The Maid of Athens", published 1820? [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by George Linley (1798 - 1865), "Maid of Athens", published 1854 [ tenor and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edward James Loder (1813 - 1865), "Maid of Athens", published 1840? [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Julian Mount, né William Hutchinson , "Maid of Athens", published 1880 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Isaac Nathan (1790 - 1864), "My life, I love you", published c1815 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Sidney Nelson (1800 - 1862), "The Maid of Athens", published 1840? [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henry Hugo Pierson (1816 - 1873), "Maid of Athens, ere we part", published 1839 [ voice and piano ], from Thoughts of Melody [sung text not yet checked]
- by Vincenzo Puccita (1778 - 1861), "The maid of Athens", published 1815? [ tenor and piano ], also set in Italian (Italiano) [sung text not yet checked]
- by H. A. Salwey , "Maid of Athens", published 1877? [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by F. Vollrath , "An Athenian song", published 1820? [ tenor and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Sidney Waller , "The maid of Athens", published 1820? [ tenor and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Langton Williams (c1832 - 1896), "Maid of Athens", published 1878 [ baritone and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by Jules Ruelle (1834 - 1892) ; composed by Charles Gounod.
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- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Heinrich Dorn.
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- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Leopold Lenz.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Adolf Böttger (1815 - 1870) , "Lied" ; composed by Hugo von Senger.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Wilhelm Herzberg.
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- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Wilhelm Alexander Knappe.
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- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Eduard Lassen.
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- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Carl Lührss.
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- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Robert von Hornstein.
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- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Alexander Winterberger.
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- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Alexander Winterberger.
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- Also set in Italian (Italiano), a translation by Giuseppina Turrisi Colonna (1822 - 1848) ; composed by Pietro Cimino.
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- Also set in Italian (Italiano), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Vincenzo Puccita.
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Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Vrchlický) , "Atheňanko, než dál jdem"
- FRE French (Français) (Alexis Paulin Pâris) , "Vierge d'Athènes"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-07-01
Line count: 24
Word count: 137