by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852)
When through life unblessed we rove
Language: English
When through life unblessed we rove losing all that made life dear Should some notes we used to love in days of boyhood, meet our ear Oh! how welcome breathes the strain, wakening thoughts that long have slept. Kindling former smiles again in faded eyes that long have wept. Music, oh how faint, how weak, language fades before thy spell, why should Feeling ever speak, when thou canst breathe her soul so well? Friendship's balmy words may feign, Love's are even more false than they.. Oh! Tis only music's strain Can sweetly smoothe, and not betray.
Text Authorship:
- by Thomas Moore (1779 - 1852) [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 Herbert Hughes (1882 - 1937), "When through life unblessed we rove" [voice and piano] [text verified 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Anne Evans
This text was added to the website: 2009-02-07
Line count: 16
Word count: 96