by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892)
And in those days she made a little song
Language: English
And in those days she made a little song, And called her song "The Song of Love and Death," And sang it: sweetly could she make and sing. Sweet is true love tho' giv'n in vain, in vain; And sweet is death that puts an end to pain: I know not which is sweeter, no, not I. Love, art thou sweet? then bitter death must be: Love, thou art bitter; sweet is death to me. O Love, if death [be]1 sweeter, let me die. Sweet love, that seems not made to fade away, Sweet death, that seems to make us loveless clay, I know not which is sweeter, no, not I. I fain would follow love, if that could be; I needs must follow death, who calls for me; Call and I follow, I follow! let me die.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Note: Many of the settings listed below probably use only the song itself, i.e., stanzas 2-5; Musical Settings of Early and Mid-Victorian Literature indicates that Papini and Mrs. Phillips include the first stanza as well in their settings.
1 Walthew: "is"Text Authorship:
- by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892), "The song of Love and Death", appears in Idylls of the King, Elaine's song in "Elaine", first published 1859 [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 Michael William Balfe (1808 - 1870), "The song of Love and Death", published c1860 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John G. Barnett (1802 - 1890), "Love and Death", published 1859 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by B. Beauchamp , "The song of Love and Death", published 1879 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Blockley (1800 - 1882), "Sweet is true love", published 1870? [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jacques (Jacob) Blumenthal (1829 - 1908), "Sweet is true love", published 1880 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ernest Crooke , "Sweet is true love", <<1892 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Richardson Dempster (1809 - 1871), "The song of Love and Death", published 1868 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by E[dwin?] Edwards , "Sweet is true love", published <<1892 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by A. Ewing , "The song of Love and Death", published 1872 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur Foote (1853 - 1937), "Elaine's song", published 1890 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Helen Fothergill (d. 1939), "Sweet is true Love", published 1920 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Stephen Ralph Glover (1812 - 1870), "Sweet is true love", <<1892 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Walter Cecil Hay (1828 - 1905), "Elaine's song", published 1861 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edward Lear (1812 - 1888), "The song of Love and Death", published c1860 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by E. Levien , "The song of Love and Death", published 1863 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Maria Lindsay (flourished 1855-1875), "The song of Love and Death", published 1861 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by C. Lushington , "Elaine's song", published 1881 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by George Alexander MacFarren (1813 - 1887), "Love and Death", <<1892 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alexander Campbell MacKenzie, Sir (1847 - 1935), "The song of Love and Death", published 1870 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Frederick C. Nicholls (1871 - ?), "Elaine's song", published c1880 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by G. Papini , "Elaine", published 1887 [ voice and violin obbligato ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by A. Phillips, Mrs. , "Elaine's song", <<1892 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alfred Plumpton , "Sweet is true love", published 1866 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Elises Smith , "Elaine", published 1864 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charlton Templeman Speer (1859 - 1921), "The song of Love and Death", published 1897 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by E. Stanynought , "Sweet is true love", published 1860 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Albert Orlando Steed (1839 - ?), "Love and Death", alternate title: "Elaine", published 1861 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Richard Henry Walthew (1872 - 1951), "A song of Love and Death", 1898 [ mezzo-soprano, clarinet, and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by H. A. Feldmann , no title, appears in Königsidyllen, first published 1859 ; composed by Friedrich Klose.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Geart van der Meer) , copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRI Frisian (Geart van der Meer) , copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Peter Brixius
This text was added to the website: 2009-01-07
Line count: 15
Word count: 138