by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824)
Translation by Adolf Böttger (1815 - 1870)
Were my bosom as false as thou deem'st it to be
Language: English
Were my bosom as false as thou deem'st it to be, I need not have wander'd from far Galilee; It was but abjuring my creed to efface The curse which, thou say'st, is the crime of my race. If the bad never triumph, then God is with thee! If the slave only sin, thou art spotless and free! If the Exile on earth is an Outcast on high, Live on in thy faith, but in mine I will die. I have lost for that faith more than thou canst bestow, As the God who permits thee to prosper doth know; In his hand is my heart and my hope - and in thine The land and the life which for him I resign.
Text Authorship:
- by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "Were my bosom as false as thou deem'st it to be", appears in Hebrew Melodies, no. 17, first published 1815 [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 Isaac Nathan (1790 - 1864), "Were my bosom as false as thou deem'st it to be", published 1815 [ voice and piano ], from A Selection of Hebrew Melodies No. I, no. 17 [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Franz Theremin (1780 - 1846) , "Wär ich wirklich so falsch", appears in Hebräische Gesänge, first published 1820 ; composed by M. Henle, Carl Loewe.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Adolf Böttger (1815 - 1870) , "Wär' ich wirklich so falsch", appears in Hebräische Melodien, no. 18, first published 1841 ; composed by Karl Müller.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Alexis Paulin Pâris) , "Si mon cœur était aussi perfide que tu le penses", appears in Mélodies hébraïques, no. 17
Researcher for this page: Thomas Jaenicke
This text was added to the website: 2004-07-05
Line count: 12
Word count: 122
Wär' ich wirklich so falsch
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
Wär' ich wirklich so falsch, als du irrend geglaubt, So wandert' ich nicht, meiner Heimat beraubt; Entsagt' ich dem Glauben, so wär' ich entrückt Dem Fluch, der, so sagst du, die Meinigen drückt. Wenn der Böse nie siegt, -- steht der Himmel dir bei! Wenn der Sclave nur sündigt, -- bist rein du und frei. Wenn Verbannung auf Orden des Himmels Gericht, So leb' deinem Glauben, -- ich sterbe der Pflicht! Ich gab für den Glauben, was nie du vermaqst, Wie der Gott weiß, der's duldet, daß jetzt du mich plagst. Mein Herz und mein Hoffen hat Er in der Hand, Ihm opfr' ich, was dein ist, mein Leben und Land!
Text Authorship:
- by Adolf Böttger (1815 - 1870), "Wär' ich wirklich so falsch", appears in Hebräische Melodien, no. 18, first published 1841 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "Were my bosom as false as thou deem'st it to be", appears in Hebrew Melodies, no. 17, first published 1815
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Karl Müller (flourished c1862), "Wär' ich wirklich so falsch", op. 6 no. 7, published 1862 [ high voice and piano quartet ], from Hebräische Melodien, no. 7 [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-08-09
Line count: 12
Word count: 108