by
James Joyce (1882 - 1941)
The eyes that mock me sign the way
Language: English
The eyes that mock me sign the way
Whereto I pass at eve of day,
Grey way whose violet signals are
The trysting and the twining star.
Ah star of evil! star of pain!
Highhearted youth comes not again
Nor old heart's wisdom yet to know
The signs that mock me as I go.
About the headline (FAQ)
First published in
Anglo-French Review, August 1919
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Stanley Richard Bate (1913 - 1959), "Bahnhofstrasse", published 1951 [ low voice and piano ], from Five Songs [sung text not yet checked]
- by David Del Tredici (1937 - 2023), "Bahnhofstrasse", 1959, first performed 1983, from Two Songs on Poems of James Joyce, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robin Field (b. 1935), "The eyes that mock me sign the way", 1967 [ tenor, oboe, and string quartet ], from The sly reeds whisper [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Gruen (b. 1927), "Bahnhofstrasse" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Wilfred Orr (1893 - 1976), "Bahnhofstrasse", c1931, published 1933, first performed 1932 [ tenor and piano ], from The Joyce Book, no. 12, from Four Songs for High Voice and Piano, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Bahnhofstrasse", copyright © 2009, (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: 54
Bahnhofstrasse
Language: French (Français) after the English
Les yeux qui se moquent de moi me montrent le chemin
Où je passe au coucher du jour.
Ce chemin gris dont les signaux violets sont
L'étoile du rendez-vous et de l'enlacement.
Ô étoile du démon ! étoile de la douleur !
La jeunesse au grand cœur ne revient pas.
Ni la sagesse du vieux cœur pour connaître
Les signaux qui se moquent de moi quand je passe.
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:
This text was added to the website: 2009-11-09
Line count: 8
Word count: 66