by
Henry King (1592 - 1669)
Like to the falling of a star
Language: English
Available translation(s): FRE
Like to the falling of a star,
Or [as the flights]1 of eagles are;
Or like the fresh spring's gaudy hue,
Or silver drops of morning dew;
Or like a wind that chafes the flood,
Or bubbles which on water stood:
Even such is man, whose borrowed [light]2
Is straight call'd in, and paid to night.
The wind blows out, the bubble dies;
The spring entombed in autumn lies.
The dew dries up, the star is shot;
The flight is past and man forgot.
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Note: author given as "Harry King" in the Bennett score.
1 Bennett: "like the flight"
2 Bennett: "plight"
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , title 1: "Ainsi est la vie", copyright © 2010, (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: 12
Word count: 84
Ainsi est la vie
Language: French (Français)  after the English
Semblable à la chute de l'étoile,
Ou comme est le vol de l'aigle ;
Ou comme la couleur éclatante du frais printemps,
Ou les gouttes d'argent de la rosée du matin ;
Ou comme un vent qui frotte le flot,
Ou des bulles qui se tenaient sur l'eau :
Même ainsi est l'homme, dont la lumière empruntée
Est aussitôt passée, et payée pour la nuit.
Le vent s'arrête, la bulle meurt ;
Le printemps est enseveli dans les mensonges de l'automne.
La rosée sèche, l'étoile est abattue ;
Le vol est passé et l'homme oublie.
Authorship:
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2010 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.
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Based on:
- a text in English by Henry King (1592 - 1669), first published 1664
This text was added to the website: 2010-08-01
Line count: 12
Word count: 95