by William Butler Yeats (1865 - 1939)
Translation © by Ferdinando Albeggiani

The lover pleads with his friend for old friends
Language: English 
Available translation(s): ITA
Though you are in your shining days,
Voices among the crowd
And new friends busy with your praise,
Be not unkind or proud,
But think about old friends the most:
Time's bitter flood will rise,
Your beauty perish and be lost
For all eyes but these eyes.

First published in Saturday Review, July 1897, as "Song", revised 1899 and 1906

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):

  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "L'innamorato supplica l'amica a favore dei vecchi amici", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2004-06-14
Line count: 8
Word count: 47

L'innamorato supplica l'amica a favore dei vecchi amici
Language: Italian (Italiano)  after the English 
Sebbene tu sia nei tuoi giorni più splendidi,
E voci fra la folla
E nuovi amici siano intenti a celebrarti,
non essere arrogante o sgarbata,
ma pensa soprattutto ai vecchi amici:
monterà l'amaro flutto del tempo,
perirà tua bellezza e sarà perduta
agli occhi di tutti, ma non a questi occhi.

Authorship:

  • Translation from English to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2008 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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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This text was added to the website: 2008-07-04
Line count: 8
Word count: 51