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The water is wide I cannot get o'er, And neither have I wings to fly. Give me a boat that will carry two, And both shall row, my love and I. O, down in the meadows the other day, A-gathering flowers both fine and gay, A-gathering flowers both red and blue, I little thought what love can do. I leaned my back up against some oak Thinking that he was a trusty tree; But first he bended, and then he broke; And so did my false love to me. A ship there is, and she sails the sea, She's loaded deep as deep can be, But not so deep as the love I'm in: I know not if I sink or swim. O! love is handsome and love is fine, And love's a jewel while it is new; But when it is old, it groweth cold, And fades away like morning dew.
D. Thomas sets stanzas 1, 4, 3, 2, 5
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 (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "O Waly, Waly" [sung text checked 1 time]
- by David Evan Thomas (b. 1958), "O, Waly Waly", 1989/2003, stanzas 1,4,3,2,5 [ medium voice, piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Ai las, ai las", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "Hélas, hélas", copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Non posso attraversare il mare vasto", copyright © 2012, (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: 20
Word count: 152
El mar és vast i no el puc travessar, ni tampoc tinc ales per volar. Doneu-me una barca amb lloc per a dos, i remarem ensems, la meva estimada i jo. Oh, l’altre dia allà a les prades, tot collint flors alhora belles i vistoses, tot collint flors alhora vermelles i blaves, vaig pensar per un instant en el que l’amor pot fer. Vaig recolzar l’esquena en un roure pensant que era un arbre fiable; però primer es va torçar i després es va trencar; i la mateixa cosa em féu el fals amor a mi. H ha un vaixell que navega al mar, va carregat tan profundament com possible, però no tan profundament com l’amor que sento: no sé pas si m’enfonso o suro. Oh, l’amor és atraient i l’amor és bell, i l’amor és un joiell quan és nou; però quan és vell, esdevé fred, i s’esvaneix com la rosada del matí.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2024 by Salvador Pila, (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.
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Based on:
- a text in English from Volkslieder (Folksongs)
This text was added to the website: 2024-09-28
Line count: 20
Word count: 154