by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861)
Translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
The soul's Rialto hath its merchandize
Language: English
The soul's Rialto hath its merchandize; I barter curl for curl upon that mart, And from my poet's forehead to my heart Receive this lock which outweighs argosies, -- As purply black, as erst to Pindar's eyes The dim purpureal tresses gloomed athwart The nine white Muse-brows. For this counterpart, . . . The bay crown's shade, Belovëd, I surmise, Still lingers on thy curl, it is so black! Thus, with a fillet of smooth-kissing breath, I tie the shadows safe from gliding back, And lay the gift where nothing hindereth; Here on my heart, as on thy brow, to lack No natural heat till mine grows cold in death.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), no title, appears in Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 19, first published 1847 [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 Eleanor Everest Freer (1864 - 1942), "The soul's Rialto hath its merchandize", published 1910 [ medium voice and piano ], from Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 19 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Rainer Maria Rilke) , no title, appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 19, first published 1908
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-07-23
Line count: 14
Word count: 109
Auch am Rialto meiner Seele kennt
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
Auch am Rialto meiner Seele kennt man Tausch und Handel. Und mein Herz wird Speicher für meines Dichters Locke, die mir reicher erscheint als Schiffe aus dem Orient. So purpurn wie sie dunkelt. Pindar sah so glutverhaltend nächtiges Geflecht um Musenstirnen. Und mit gleichem Recht, vermut ich, wich von dieser Locke da noch nicht der Schatten aus dem Kranz. man sieht: sie ist so schwarz. Ich will ein Netz gehauchter schützender Küsse drüber knüpfen und aufs Herz sie legen, wo ihr nichts geschieht, und wo sie Wärme hat wie auf erlauchter Stirne, solang es glüht auf seinem Grund.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 19, 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. 19, first published 1847
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: 98