by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941)
Translation by Frederik van Eeden (1860 - 1932)
Why did the lamp go out?
Language: English after the Bangla (Bengali)
Why did the lamp go out? I shaded it with my cloak to save it from the wind, that is why the lamp went out. Why did the flower fade? I pressed it to my heart with anxious love, that is why the flower faded. Why did the stream dry up? I put a dam across it to have it for my use, that is why the stream dried up. Why did the harp-string break? I tried to force a note that was beyond its power, that is why the harp-string is broken.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in The Gardener, no. 52 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941) [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Dutch (Nederlands), a translation by Frederik van Eeden (1860 - 1932) , no title, appears in De Hoovenier, no. 52, first published 1919 ; composed by Berthe Geuer.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-11-12
Line count: 12
Word count: 93
Waarom doofde de lamp?
Language: Dutch (Nederlands) after the English
Waarom doofde de lamp? Ik hield er mijn mantel vóór, om haar voor de wind te beschutten. Daarom doofde de lamp. Waarom welkte de bloem? Ik drukte haar aan mijn hart in angstige liefde. Daarom welkte de bloem. Waarom verdroogde de stroom? Ik legde er een dam door, om hem nuttig voor mijn gebruik te maken, daarom droogde de stroom. Waarom brak de harp-snaar? Ik trachtte haar een toon te ontwringen, die booven haar macht was, daarom is de harp-snaar gebrooken.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Frederik van Eeden (1860 - 1932), no title, appears in De Hoovenier, no. 52, first published 1919 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941), no title, appears in The Gardener, no. 52
Based on:
- a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861 - 1941) [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Berthe Geuer (1888 - 1974), "Waarom doofde de lamp", 1945 [voice and piano], from Zeven liederen uit de Hovenier, no. 6. [text not verified]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-11-12
Line count: 12
Word count: 81