Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at 
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Dear heart, why will you use me so? Dear eyes that gently me upbraid, Still are you beautiful -- - but O, How is your beauty raimented! Through the clear mirror of your eyes, Through the soft sigh of kiss to kiss, Desolate winds assail with cries The shadowy garden where love is. And soon shall love dissolved be When over us the wild winds blow -- - But you, dear love, too dear to me, Alas! why will you use me so?
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship
- by James Joyce (1882 - 1941), no title, appears in Chamber Music, no. 29, first published 1907 [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 Ross Lee Finney (1906 - 1997), "Dear heart, why will you use me so?", 1952, published 1985, first performed 1975 [voice and piano], from Chamber Music, no. 29, Henmar Press [text not verified]
- by (Aynsley) Eugene Goossens, Sir (1893 - 1962), "Dear heart, why will you use me so?", published 1930 [medium voice and piano], from Chamber Music [text not verified]
- by Jack Marius Jarrett (b. 1934), "Dear heart, why will you use me so?", 1962 [satb chorus and piano], from Songs about the end of love [text not verified]
- by Colin Sterne , "Dear heart", published 1953. [voice and piano] [text not verified]
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , title unknown, copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Nicolaas (Koos) Jaspers) , title unknown, copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-01-24
Line count: 12
Word count: 81
Lief hartje, wat doe je mij toch aan? O lieve ogen, met je zacht verwijt, Immer nog mooi, maar ach, Die schoonheid is slechts een gewaad Uit je spiegelklare blik Je zacht gesteun terwijl we kussen Snijden, huilend, snode winden Over een lommerrijke liefdeshof De liefde zal weldra vervliegen Zodra ons ruige stormen slaan Maar jij, mijn lief, zo toegenegen Helaas - wat doe je mij toch aan?
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship
- Translation from English to Dutch (Nederlands) copyright © 2009 by Nicolaas (Koos) Jaspers, (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: 
- a text in English by James Joyce (1882 - 1941), no title, appears in Chamber Music, no. 29, first published 1907
This text was added to the website: 2009-12-19
Line count: 12
Word count: 68