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by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892)
Translation Singable translation by Ed. Sachs

Hapless doom of woman
Language: English 
Hapless doom of woman 
  happy in betrothing,
Beauty passes like a breath
  and love is lost in loathing;
    Low! my lute: 
        Speak low, but say the world is nothing.
    Low! lute, low!

Love will hover round the flowers
  when they first awaken;
Love will fly the fallen leaf,
  and not be overtaken;
    Low, my lute! 
        O low, my lute! we fade and are forsaken.
    Low, dear lute, low!

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

  • by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892), no title, appears in Queen Mary, Act V, scene 2, first published 1875 [author's text not yet checked 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 Edward Elgar, Sir (1857 - 1934), "Queen Mary's Song", 1892, published 1907, first performed 1897 [ voice and piano ], from Seven Lieder of Edward Elgar, no. 2, note: first published separately in 1892, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]
  • by Horatio William Parker (1863 - 1919), "Lute-Song", published 1904 [ medium voice and piano ], from Two Songs from Tennyson's "Queen Mary", no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Charles Villiers Stanford, Sir (1852 - 1924), "The Lute Song", op. 6 no. 2 (1875), published 1876 [ voice and piano ], from Two Songs from incidental music to the play Queen Mary, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Ed. Sachs ; composed by Edward Elgar, Sir.
      • Go to the text.

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 68

Maria Stuart's Lied zur Laute
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English 
Glücklos Schicksal des Weibes,
        Glücklich nur im Wähnen,
Schönheit schwindet wie ein Hauch
        Und Lieb' vergeht in Tränen :
    Leis', mein Spiel !
Tön' leis, o leis, mein Spiel, doch sag der Welt mein Sehnen.
    Sanft! Laute, sanft !

Liebe schützt die zarten Keime,
        Wenn sie Wurzel fassen ;
Liebe flieht die welken Blüten,
        Wenn Farb' und Leben blassen ;
    Leis', mein Spiel !
Tön' leis, o leis, mein Spiel! Verwelkt sind wir verlassen.
    Sanft, o Laute, sanft !

Text Authorship:

  • Singable translation by Ed. Sachs  [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in English by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892), no title, appears in Queen Mary, Act V, scene 2, first published 1875
    • 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 Edward Elgar, Sir (1857 - 1934), "Maria Stuart's Lied zur Laute", 1892, published 1907, first performed 1897 [voice and piano], from Seven Lieder of Edward Elgar, no. 2, also set in English [
     text verified 1 time
    ]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2008-08-28
Line count: 14
Word count: 72

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