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by William Blake (1757 - 1827)
Translation © by Guy Laffaille
Ah, Sun‑flower! weary of time
Language: English
Ah, Sun-flower! weary of time, Who countest the steps of the Sun; Seeking after that sweet golden clime, Where the traveller's journey is done: Where the Youth pined away with desire, And the pale Virgin shrouded in snow, Arise from their graves and aspire Where my Sun-flower wishes to go.
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Text Authorship:
- by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 14, first published 1794 [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 Laurence Mitchell Ager (b. 1904), "Sunflower song", published 1948 [ SA chorus and piano ], London : A. & C. Black [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Alwyn (1905 - 1985), "Sunflower", 1933 [ voice and piano ], from Songs of Experience, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Thomas) Athanasios Aronis (b. 1935), "Ah! Sunflower", from Blake Song Cycle, no. 10 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Rodney Ash (b. 1931), "Ah! sun-flower", 1972, from Songs of Experience, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Earl Averitt (b. 1948), "Ah, sun-flower", 1970 [ TBB chorus and piano ], from Two Songs of William Blake, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gary Bachlund (b. 1947), "Ah, Sunflower", 1990 [ medium-high voice and piano ], from Three Blake Settings, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Jacquelyn Yvette Beahm (1930 - 1988), "Ah, sunflower", 1971 [ low voice, flute, and piano ], from Three Poems by William Blake, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Bolcom (b. 1938), "Ah! Sun-flower!", 1956-81 [ solo voices, chorus, and orchestra ], from Songs of Experience, Volume Two, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Ah, Sun-flower", op. 74 no. 12, published 1965 [ baritone and piano ], from Songs and Proverbs of William Blake, no. 12 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Mark Leopold Bucci (b. 1929), "The sunflower", published 1968 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from The Wondrous Kingdom (Flora and Fauna), no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alice Upton Close , "Ah! Sunflower", published c1934 [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by James Myron Cohn (b. 1928), "Ah, Sunflower", c1970 [ high voice, piano or guitar ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by William W. Colson (b. 1945), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time", 1967, first performed 1967 [ voice, piano ], from Three Blake Songs, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Craig Cooper (b. 1925), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time", published c1962 [ SSATTB chorus and organ or piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Charlton Crawford (b. 1931), "Ah! Sunflower", published 1965 [ bass and string quartet ], from Three Songs of Experience, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hastings Crossley (1846 - ?), "The sunflower", published 1884 [ high voice, piano ], from Four Garden Songs, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Cuckson (b. 1942), "Ah! Sunflower", 1971, first performed 1977 [ soprano, piano ], from Four Blake Songs, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Norman Curtis (b. 1933), "Ah! sunflower", c1959 [ voice and piano ], from William Blake's Songs of Innocence and of Experience, no. 23 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Elaine Dobson (b. 1945), "The sunflower", 1970 [ children's chorus, 2 violins, 2 recorders, and percussion ], from The Sun Turning Around, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jonathan Dove (b. 1959), "Ah, Sun-flower!", 2000, from The Passing of the Year, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by David Andross Farquhar (1928 - 2007), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time", 1947 [ voice and piano ], from Blake Songs, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Irving Gifford Fine (1914 - 1962), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bernard Sidney Garte (1923 - 1953), "The sunflower", c1946 [ voice and piano ], from Eight Songs of William Blake, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ole Carsten Green (b. 1922), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time", op. 27a no. 14 (1973) [ voice and piano ], from Songs of Experience, no. 14 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Margo Lynn Greene (b. 1948), "Ah! sunflower", 1972 [ mezzo-soprano and orchestra ], from Five Songs for Mezzo-Soprano and Orchestra, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Inglis Gundry (1905 - 2000), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time", 1950, first performed 1957 [ tenor or soprano and piano ], from Four Songs of Experience [sung text not yet checked]
- by Douglas Gunn (b. 1935), "Ah! Sunflower", op. 9 (1970), first performed 1971 [ soprano, treble recorder or flute, and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Daron Aric Hagen (b. 1961), "Ah! Sun-Flower", 1986, first performed 1989 [ voice and piano ], from Love Songs, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by David Haines (b. 1956), "Ah! sunflower", 1972-9, rev. 1984, first performed 1979 [ high voice and piano ], from Songs of Experience, no. 9 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alfred Matthew Hale (1875 - 1960), "Ah! sun-flower", op. 16 no. 10, published 1910 [ voice and piano ], from Twelve Songs, no. 10, London : A. Lengnick [sung text not yet checked]
- by John H. Harbison (b. 1938), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time", 1971, published c1975, first performed 1973 [ vocal quartet, SATB chorus, string quartet, and percussion ], from Five Songs of Experience, no. 3, New York, Associated Music Publishers [sung text not yet checked]
- by Fritz Bennicke Hart (1874 - 1949), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time", op. 25 (Seven songs) no. 4 (1917) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eugene Hartzell (1932 - 2000), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time", 1969 [ medium voice and orchestra ], from Spring and Three Flowers, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gary Michael Higginson (b. 1952), "Ah, sunflower", 33 no. 4 (1977), first performed 1979 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Seven Songs of William Blake, Set I, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Daniel Jenkyn Jones (1912 - 1993), "Ah! Sunflower", 1977, first performed 1977 [ SATB chorus and orchestra ], from Hear the Voice of the Ancient Bard, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henry Festing Jones (1851 - 1928), "Ah, Sunflower", published 1906 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Six Four-Part Songs, no. 4, London: Weekes & Co. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Mary Margaret Kelly (b. 1957), "Ah, sunflower", 1984-5 [ SSAA chorus a cappella ], from Six Songs for School Chorus, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Walter Kemp (b. 1938), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time", 1957-8, published c1967 [ SATB chorus a cappella ], from Five Poems of William Blake, no. 2, Don Mills, Ont. : BMI Canada (Berandol) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Joan Littlejohn (b. 1937), "Ah, Sunflower", 1967-70, first performed 1971 [ voice and piano ], from Blakes Songs of Innocence and of Experience, Showing the Two Contrary States of the Human Soul, Part II : Songs of Experience, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ruth Margaret Lomon (b. 1930), "The sunflower", 1962, published c1980, first performed 1963 [ contralto and viola ], from Five songs after poems by William Blake, no. 1, Washington, DC : Arsis Press [sung text not yet checked]
- by Otto Luening (1900 - 1996), "Ah! Sunflower", 1984, first performed 1986 [ soprano and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Philip James Martin (b. 1947), "The sunflower", 1969-71, first performed 1971 [ high voice and piano ], from Nine Songs for High Voice and Piano, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Douglas McGilvra (b. 1945), "Ah! sun-flower", 1976-7, first performed 1978 [ soprano, three flutes, 2 pianos, and celesta ], from Blake Texts, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilfrid Howard Mellers (b. 1914), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time", 1972-3 [ soprano, baritone, bass, chorus, orchestra ], from Sun-flower -- The Quaternity of William Blake, note: text variants not shown [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wilfrid Howard Mellers (b. 1914), no title, 1973-4 [ four soli, three choruses, large orchestra and organ ], from Sun-flower -- The Quaternity of William Blake [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Mitchell (b. 1941), "Ah! Sunflower", op. 25 no. 4 (1977), from Visions from the Flame, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Frank S. Morgan , "Sunflower song", c1973, note: includes additional words by the composer ; unpublished [sung text not yet checked]
- by Frederick A. Mueller (b. 1921), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time", published 1963 [ soprano and piano ], from Five Songs on Blake Texts [sung text not yet checked]
- by Nick Peros (b. 1963), "Ah, Sunflower" [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Geraldine Dorothy Rasmussen (b. 1925?6), "Ah, sunflower", 1985 [ soprano, piano, and flute ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by George Rochberg (1918 - 2005), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time", 1957, published 1963, rev. 1962, first performed 1961 [ soprano and instrumental ensemble ], from Blake Songs, no. 1, NY : Leeds Music Corp. (MCA) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Sven-David Sandström (b. 1942), "Ah, sunflower (To Ingvar)", 1980, first performed 1982 [ mixed chorus a cappella ], from Three Poems by William Blake, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gerard Schürmann (b. 1928), "Sunflower", 1956, published 1996-7 [ high voice and piano ], from Six Songs of William Blake, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Austin Sykes (1909 - 1962), "Ah! Sunflower" [ high voice and piano ], from Two Songs, no. 2, first setting [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Austin Sykes (1909 - 1962), "Ah! Sunflower", c1931, first performed 1975 [ baritone and piano ], from Songs of Experience, no. 10, second setting [sung text not yet checked]
- by Anthony J. Taffs (1916 - 2005), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time", 1960 [ soprano and piano ], from Five Songs of William Blake [sung text not yet checked]
- by Virgil Garnett Thomson (1896 - 1989), "The sunflower", 1920 [ soprano and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872 - 1958), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time", 1957, published 1958 [ voice and oboe ], from Ten Blake Songs, no. 7 [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Thomas) Gerard Victory (1921 - 1995), "The sunflower", 1977/8, first performed 1978 [ soprano, tenor, and SATB chorus a cappella ], from Seven Songs of Experience, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carl Paul Vollrath (b. 1931), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time", 1966, first performed 1966 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], from Songs of Experience [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Wallace (1860 - 1940), "The sunflower", published c1911 [ medium voice and piano ], from Three Songs, no. 1, London : Stainer & Bell [sung text not yet checked]
- by Rudolph T. Werther (1896 - 1986), "Ah, sunflower" [ voice and piano ], from Book of Religious Songs, no. 6 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Lawrence Willingham (b. 1942), "The sunflower", op. 17 no. 1 (1979) [ soprano and piano ], from Songs of Innocence and Experience, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Brocklesby Wordsworth (1908 - 1988), "Ah! sunflower", op. 35 no. 2 (1948) [ high voice and piano ], from Four Blake Songs, no. 2, Edinburgh : Scotus Music Publications [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Ah ! tournesol !", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Elisa Rapado) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 50
Ah ! tournesol !
Language: French (Français) after the English
Ah ! tournesol ! las du temps, Qui compte les pas du soleil ; Cherchant après ce climat doux et doré Où la route du voyageur s'est faite : Où les jeunes soupiraient avec désir, Et la pâle vierge ensevelie dans la neige, Se lèvent de leurs tombes et aspirent à aller Où mon tournesol souhaite.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2009 by Guy Laffaille, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in English by William Blake (1757 - 1827), "Ah! Sun-flower! weary of time", appears in Songs of Innocence and Experience, in Songs of Experience, no. 14, first published 1794
This text was added to the website: 2009-07-01
Line count: 8
Word count: 52