I want to die while you love me,
While yet you hold me fair,
While laughter lies upon my lips
And lights are in my hair.

I want to die while you love me
I could not bear to see
The glory of this perfect day
Grow dim or cease to be.

I want to die while you love me
Oh, who would care to live
Till love has nothing more to ask
And nothing more to give!

I want to die while you love me,
And bear to that still bed,
Your kisses turbulent, unspent
To warm me when I’m dead.

Composer Undine Smith Moore rearranged the order of Georgia Douglas Johnson’s original poem; the above text is Moore’s version.

Text Authorship:

• by Undine Eliza Anna Smith (1904 - 1989), as Undine Smith Moore [an adaptation]

Based on:

• a text in English by Georgia Douglas Johnson (1880 - 1966), no title, first published 1922
  • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

• by Undine Eliza Anna Smith (1904 - 1989), as Undine Smith Moore, "I Want to Die While You Love Me", 1975 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2025-09-28
Line count: 16
Word count: 102