by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861)
Translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
With the same heart, I said, I'll answer...
Language: English
With the same heart, I said, I'll answer thee As those, when thou shalt call me by my name -- Lo, the vain promise! is the same, the same, Perplexed and ruffled by life's strategy? When called before, I told how hastily I dropped my flowers or brake off from a game. To run and answer with the smile that came At play last moment, and went on with me Through my obedience. When I answer now, I drop a grave thought, break from solitude; Yet still my heart goes to thee -- ponder how -- Not as to a single good, but all my good! Lay thy hand on it, best one, and allow That no child's foot could run fast as this blood.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), no title, appears in Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 34, first published 1847 [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), "With the same heart, I said, I'll answer thee", published 1910 [ medium voice and piano ], from Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 34 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Libby Larsen (b. 1950), "With the same heart, I said, I'll answer thee", 1991 [ soprano and chamber orchestra or piano ], from Sonnets From the Portuguese , no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Rainer Maria Rilke) , no title, appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 34, first published 1908
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-07-24
Line count: 14
Word count: 122
Versprach ich gleichen Herzens dir und...
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English
Versprach ich gleichen Herzens dir und ihnen Antwort zu geben, angerufen -: Ach, ist es das gleiche noch: bei diesem Dienen im kriegerischen Leben nach und nach verwildert? Früher ließ ich, wenn man rief, die Blumen liegen und das Spiel und lief antwortend mit dem Lächeln meines Spieles, und selbst im hastigen Gehorchen fiel es nicht von mir ab. Antwort ich jetzt, so reiße ich aus Gedanken mich, die einsam sind. Mein Herz geht hin zu dir nicht wie zu einem, nein, wie zu allem, was ich Güte heiße; leg deine Hand ihm auf. Es kann kein Kind gelaufen kommen wie mein Blut zu deinem.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 34, 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. 34, 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: 104