by
John Donne (1572 - 1631)
Since she whom I lov'd hath pay'd her...
Language: English
Our translations: FRE GER
Since she whom I lov'd hath pay'd her last debt
To Nature, and to hers, and my good is dead,
And her Soule early into Heaven ravished,
Wholly on heavenly things my mind is sett.
Here the admyring her my mind did whett
To seeke thee God; so streams do shew their head;
But though I have found thee and thou my thirst hast fed,
A holy thirsty dropsy melts mee yett,
But why should I begg more love, when as thou
Dost wooe my soul for hers: off'ring all thine:
And dost not only feare lest I allow
My love to Saints and Angels, things divine,
But in thy tender jealousy dost doubt
[Lest the world, Fleshe]1, yea, Devill putt thee out.
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
• J. Hall About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)
1 Hall: "Least in the world. Fleshe"
Text Authorship:
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) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "Since she whom I lov'd", op. 35 no. 6 (1945), published 1946 [ high voice and piano ], from The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, no. 6 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Geoffrey Burgon (b. 1941), "Since she whom I loved", 2001? [ voice and piano ], from Heavenly Things, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Juliana Hall (b. 1958), "Since she whom I lov’d", 2013, first performed 2014 [ tenor and piano ], from The Holy Sonnets of John Donne - 9 Songs for Tenor and Piano, no. 6 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Daniel Johannsen) , copyright © 2020, (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: 14
Word count: 125
Depuis que celle que j'ai aimée a payé...
Language: French (Français) after the English
Depuis que celle que j'ai aimée a payé sa dernière dette
À la Nature, et aux siens, et que mon trésor est mort,
Et son âme tôt ravie dans les cieux,
Mon esprit est fixé complètement sur des choses célestes,
Ici mon esprit, qui l'admire, doit s'exercer
À chercher Dieu ; ainsi les rivières montrent leur tête ;
Mais bien que je t'aie trouvé et que tu aies assouvi ma soif,
Une hydropisie sainte et assoiffée me fait fondre encore,
Mais pourquoi devrais-je solliciter plus d'amour, quand comme toi
Mon âme se désole pour les siens : offrant tout le tien :
Et ne pas craindre seulement par peur que je permette
Mon amour pour les saints et les anges, divins objets,
Mais dans ta tendre jalousie, doute
Moins du monde, ma chair, le diable te met dehors.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2011 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:
This text was added to the website: 2011-07-05
Line count: 14
Word count: 134