by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861)
Translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
If thou must love me, let it be for...
Language: English
If thou must love me, let it be for nought Except for love's sake only. Do not say "I love her for her smile ... her look ... her way Of speaking gently, ... for a trick of thought That falls in well with mine, and certes brought A sense of pleasant ease on such a day" For these things in themselves, Beloved, may Be changed, or change for thee,-- and love, so wrought, May be unwrought so. Neither love me for Thine own dear pity's wiping my cheeks dry, A creature might forget to weep, who bore Thy comfort long, and lose thy love thereby! But love me for love's sake, that evermore Thou may'st love on, through love's eternity.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), no title, appears in Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 14, 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 Frederic Balazs (b. 1920), "If thou must love me, let it be for nought", published 1960 [ high voice and string quartet or chamber orchestra ], from Sonnets after Elizabeth Barrett Browning [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Henry Bell (1873 - 1946), "If thou must love me" [ voice and piano ], from Three songs: words from "Sonnets from the Portuguese" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gary Carpenter , "Love" [ mezzo-soprano or contralto and piano ], from Love's Eternity - Five Songs of Elizabeth Barrett Browning for Mezzo (or Contralto) & Piano, no. 1, Camden Music [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Louis Cheslock (1898 - 1981), "If thou must love me, let it be for nought" [ mezzo-soprano or tenor and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Vivian Fine (1913 - 2000), "Sonnet from the Portuguese", 1991 [ voice and piano ], from 4 Victorian Songs, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Vivian Fine (1913 - 2000), "Sonnet from the Portuguese", 1988, first performed 1988 [ soprano, flute, clarinet, violin, viola, cello ], from 5 Victorian Songs, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by William Arms Fisher (1861 - 1948), "For love's sake only", published 1897 [ high voice and piano ], from Five songs [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eleanor Everest Freer (1864 - 1942), "If thou must love me", published 1910 [ medium voice and piano ], from Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 14 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Fritz Bennicke Hart (1874 - 1949), "If thou must love me", op. 116 (Three Sonnets) no. 1 (1935) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Joseph M. Hopkins , "If thou must love me" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Florence Everilda Knowlys (1848 - 1916), as Mrs. Arthur Goodeve, "If thou must love me" [ low voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Frederick Piket (1903 - 1974), "If thou must love me", published 1957 [ 4-part mixed chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carlos Surinach (b. 1915), "If thou must love me", published 1966 [ voice and piano ], from Flamenco Meditations [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, [adaptation] ; composed by Samuel Barber.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926) , no title, appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 14, first published 1908 ; composed by Erich Anders.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-12-07
Line count: 14
Word count: 118
Wenn du mich lieben mußt, so soll es nur
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
Wenn du mich lieben mußt, so soll es nur der Liebe wegen sein. Sag nicht im stillen: «Ich liebe sie um ihres Lächelns willen, für ihren Blick, ihr Mildsein, für die Spur, die ihres Denkens leichter Griff in mir zurückläßt, solche Tage zu umrändern». - Denn diese Dinge wechseln leicht in dir, Geliebter, wenn sie nicht sich selbst verändern. Wer also näht, der weiß auch, wie man trennt. Leg auch dein Mitleid nicht zu Grund, womit du meine Wangen trocknest; wer den Schritt aus deinem Trost heraus nicht tut, verkennt die Tränen schließlich und verliert mit ihnen der Liebe Ewigkeit: ihr sollst du dienen.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 14, first published 1908 [author's text checked 1 time 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. 14, 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):
- by Erich Anders (1883 - 1955), "Wenn Du mich lieben mußt", op. 28 no. 1, published 1918 [ voice and piano ], from Drei Portugiesische Sonette, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-02-19
Line count: 14
Word count: 104