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by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861)

If I were thou, O butterfly
Language: English 
Our translations:  CHI
If I were thou, O butterfly,
And poised my purple wing to spy
The sweetest flowers that live and die,

I would not waste my strength on those,
As thou,—for summer has a close,
And pansies bloom not in the snows.

If I were thou, O working bee,
And all that honey-gold I see,
Could delve from roses easily,

I would not hive it at man's door,
As thou,—that heirdom of my store
Should make him rich and leave me poor.

If I were thou, O eagle proud,
And screamed the thunder back aloud,
And faced the lightning from the cloud,

I would not build my eyrie throne,
As thou,—upon a crumbling stone
Which the next storm may trample down.

If I were thou, O gallant steed ,
With pawing hoof and dancing head,
And eye outrunning thine own speed,

I would not meeken to the rein,
As thou,—nor smooth my nostril plain
From the glad desert's snort and strain.

If I were thou, red-breasted bird,
With song at shut-up window heard,
Like Love's sweet yes too long deferred,

I would not overstay delight,
As thou,—but take a swallow-flight
Till the new spring returned to sight.

While yet I spake, a touch was laid
Upon my brow, whose pride did fade
As thus, methought, an angel said,—

"If I were thou who sing'st this song,
Most wise for others, and most strong
In seeing right while doing wrong,

"I would not waste my cares, and choose,
As thou,—to seek what thou must lose,
Such gains as perish in the use.

"I would not work where none can win,
As thou,—halfway 'twixt grief and sin,
But look above and judge within.

"I would not let my pulse beat high,
As thou,—towards fame's regality,
Nor yet in love's great jeopardy.

"I would not champ the hard cold bit,
As thou,—of what the world thinks fit,
But take God's freedom, using it.

“I would not play earth's winter out,
As thou,—but gird my soul about,
And live for life past death and doubt.

"Then sing, O singer !—but allow,
Beast, fly and bird, called foolish now
Are wise (for all they scorn) as thou."

J. Williams sets stanzas 1-2, 9-10

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with A Selection From the Poetry of Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Second Series, London : Smith, Elder, & Co., 1884, Pages 141-142.


Text Authorship:

  • by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), "Wisdom Unapplied", first published 1850 [author's text checked 2 times 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):

  • possibly by Abbie Gerrish-Jones (1863 - 1929), "If I were thou", note: composer name given as "Abbie Errish Jones" in Sally K.C. East's Browning Music [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Marie von Hammer , "If I were thou", published 1900 [ high voice and piano ], from Five Songs, Boston: Oliver Ditson [sung text not yet checked]
  • by Joseph Williams (1847 - 1923), as Florian Pascal, "Wisdom Unapplied", published 1905, stanzas 1-2,9-10, from Eight Songs (5th set) [sung text not yet checked]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • CHI Chinese (中文) [singable] (Dr Huaixing Wang) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Grant Hicks [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2010-03-28
Line count: 54
Word count: 366

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