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Sea-birds are asleep, The world forgets to weep, Sea murmurs her soft slumber-song On the shadowy sand Of this elfin land; "I, the Mother mild, Hush thee, O my child, Forget the voices wild! Isles in elfin light Dream, the rocks and caves, Lull'd by whispering waves, Veil their marbles bright. Foam glimmers faintly white Upon the shelly sand Of this elfin land; Sea-sound, like violins, To slumber woos and wins, I murmur my soft slumber-song, Leave woes, and wails, and sins, Ocean's shadowy might Breathes good night, Good night!"
Confirmed with Stedman, Edmund Clarence, ed. A Victorian Anthology, 1837–1895, Cambridge: Riverside Press, 1895, Bartleby.com, 2003. www.bartleby.com/246/474.html.
Authorship:
- by Roden Berkeley Wriothesley Noel (1834 - 1894), "Sea slumber-song" [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 Edward Elgar, Sir (1857 - 1934), "Sea slumber song
", op. 37 no. 1, first performed 1899, from Sea Pictures, no. 1. [text verified 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , title 1: "Ninna nanna marina", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , title 1: "Cançó de bressol del mar", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , title 1: "Meeresschlummerlied", copyright © 2015, (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: 22
Word count: 90
Gli uccelli marini stanno dormendo, Il mondo ha cessato ogni lamento, Sussurra il mare una dolce nenia Sulle rive ombrose Di questo fatato paese; "Io, con dolcezza di mamma, bimbo mio, ti canto la nanna. Dimentica ogni suono violento! Isole dalla luce fatata Sognano, le rocce e grotte, Cullate dal brusio delle onde, Celano i loro cuori di marmo nascondono il bianco candore. La schiuma luccica lieve d'un bianco delicato Fra le conchiglie e la sabbia Di questo paese fatato; Risuona il mare come un violino, corteggia il sonno e poi lo conquista, Io la mia ninna - nanna ti canto, Dimentica affanni, lamenti, e tormento. La forza misteriosa del mare con alito lieve sembra augurare, Buona notte!"
Authorship:
- Translation from English to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2010 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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 Roden Berkeley Wriothesley Noel (1834 - 1894), "Sea slumber-song"
This text was added to the website: 2010-09-06
Line count: 22
Word count: 118