by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861)
Translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
Can it be right to give what I can give?
Language: English
Can it be right to give what I can give? To let thee sit beneath the fall of tears As salt as mine, and hear the sighing years Re-sighing on my lips renunciative Through those infrequent smiles which fail to live For all thy adjurations? O my fears, That this can scarce be right! We are not peers So to be lovers; and I own, and grieve, That givers of such gifts as mine are, must Be counted with the ungenerous. Out, alas! I will not soil thy purple with my dust, Nor breathe my poison on thy Venice-glass, Nor give thee any love--which were unjust. Beloved, I only love thee! let it pass.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), no title, appears in Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 9, first published 1850 [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 Eleanor Everest Freer (1864 - 1942), "Can it be right to give what I can give?", published 1907 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 9 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bernard James Naylor (1907 - 1986), "Can it be right to give what I can give?", 1948, first performed 1955 [ mezzo-soprano and string quartet ], from Sonnets from the Portuguese [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Rainer Maria Rilke) , appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 9, first published 1908
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-12-16
Line count: 14
Word count: 114
Hab ich ein Recht, zu geben, was ich...
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
Hab ich ein Recht, zu geben, was ich kann? Darf ich in dieser Tränen Niederschlage dich bleiben heißen. Die durchseufzten Tage heben auf meinem Munde wieder an zwischen dem Lächeln, das, wie du's beschwörst, doch nicht zu leben wagt. O ich bin bang, daß das nicht recht sein kann. Wir sind im Rang nicht gleich genug für Liebende. Du hörst: wer andres nicht zu geben hat, der muß nicht Geber werden. Ein für alle Mal. Dein Purpur bleibe rein von meinem Ruß und unbeschlagen klar dein Glas-Pokal. Nichts geben will ich; unrecht wäre das. Nur lieben vor mich hin, Geliebter. Laß -.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 9, first published 1908 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), no title, appears in Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 9, first published 1850
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-02-19
Line count: 14
Word count: 102