by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824)
Translation by Alexis Paulin Pâris (1800 - 1881)
Maid of Athens, ere we part
Language: English
Maid of Athens, ere we part, Give, oh give me back my heart! Or, since that has left my breast, Keep it now, and take the rest! Hear my vow before I go, Ζωή μου, σᾶς ἀγαπῶ. By those tresses unconfined, Woo'd by each Ægean wind; By those lids whose jetty fringe Kiss thy soft cheeks' blooming tinge; By those wild eyes like the roe, Ζωή μου, σᾶς ἀγαπῶ. By that lip I long to taste; By that zone-encircled waist; By all the token-flowers that tell What words can never speak so well; By love's alternate joy and woe, Ζωή μου, σᾶς ἀγαπῶ. Maid of Athens! I am gone: Think of me, sweet! when alone. Though I fly to Istambol, Athens holds my heart and soul: Can I cease to love thee? No! Ζωή μου, σᾶς ἀγαπῶ.
J. Barnett sets stanzas 1, 4
J. Coulthard sets stanzas 1-2, 4
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Lord Byron, Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, a Romaunt: and other Poems, seventh Edition, London: John Murray, 1814, pages 207 - 209. Appears in Poems.
Note: Byron translated the Greek refrain as "My life, I love thee." On the Coulthard score, it is translated "My soul, I love thee."
Authorship
- by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "Song", written 1810, appears in Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, a Romaunt: and other Poems, in Poems, first published 1812 [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 Henry Robinson Allen (1809 - 1876), "Maid of Athens", published 1861 [ voice and piano or organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Michael William Balfe (1808 - 1870), "Maid of Athens", published 1869 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John G. Barnett (1802 - 1890), "Maid of Athens", 1825, published 1909, stanzas 1,4 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Pietro Cimino , "Maid of Athens", published 1933 [ voice and piano ], also set in Italian (Italiano) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jean Coulthard (1908 - 2000), "Maid of Athens, ere we part", 1991, stanzas 1-2,4 [ voice and piano ], from Two Byron Songs, no. 2, note: this is circulated as a set, but was not written that way; also the Greek is given phonetically in the score (IPA) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by William Edmondstoune Duncan (1866 - 1920), "Maid of Athens", op. 115 [ voice and piano ], from Six Declamatory Songs [sung text not yet checked]
- by George Vincent Duval , "Maid of Athens", published 1830? [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Lodge Ellerton (1801 - 1873), "Maid of Athens, ere we part", 1822 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bernard Farebrother , "Maid of Athens", published 1873 [ baritone and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Gounod (1818 - 1893), "The Maid of Athens", 1872, first performed 1872 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Andre Louis Eugene Guilbert , "My life, I love you", published 1823-4 [ voice and guitar or lyre ], from Twelve English Songs [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Horsley (1774 - 1858), "Maid of Athens", published c1814 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by H. Kalliwoda , "Maid of Athens", op. 7, published 1863 [ tenor and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by George Kiallmark (1781 - 1835), "The Maid of Athens", published 1820? [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by George Linley (1798 - 1865), "Maid of Athens", published 1854 [ tenor and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edward James Loder (1813 - 1865), "Maid of Athens", published 1840? [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Julian Mount, né William Hutchinson , "Maid of Athens", published 1880 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Isaac Nathan (1790 - 1864), "My life, I love you", published c1815 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Sidney Nelson (1800 - 1862), "The Maid of Athens", published 1840? [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henry Hugo Pierson (1816 - 1873), "Maid of Athens, ere we part", published 1839 [ voice and piano ], from Thoughts of Melody [sung text not yet checked]
- by Vincenzo Puccita (1778 - 1861), "The maid of Athens", published 1815? [ tenor and piano ], also set in Italian (Italiano) [sung text not yet checked]
- by H. A. Salwey , "Maid of Athens", published 1877? [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by F. Vollrath , "An Athenian song", published 1820? [ tenor and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Sidney Waller , "The maid of Athens", published 1820? [ tenor and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Langton Williams (c1832 - 1896), "Maid of Athens", published 1878 [ baritone and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Leopold Lenz.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Adolf Böttger (1815 - 1870) , "Lied" ; composed by Hugo von Senger.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Wilhelm Herzberg.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
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- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Wilhelm Alexander Knappe.
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- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Eduard Lassen.
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- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Carl Lührss.
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- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Robert von Hornstein.
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- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Alexander Winterberger.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Alexander Winterberger.
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- Also set in Italian (Italiano), a translation by Giuseppina Turrisi Colonna (1822 - 1848) ; composed by Pietro Cimino.
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- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in Italian (Italiano), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Vincenzo Puccita.
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Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Vrchlický) , "Atheňanko, než dál jdem"
- FRE French (Français) (Alexis Paulin Pâris) , "Vierge d'Athènes"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-07-01
Line count: 24
Word count: 137
Vierge d'Athènes
Language: French (Français) after the English
Vierge d'Athènes, avant mon départ, rends-moi, oh! rends-moi mon cœur; ou bien, puisque ce cœur a quitté mon sein, garde-le maintenant et prends le reste! Entends mon vœu avant que je parte, ζώη μοῦ, σὰς ἀγαπῶ. J'en jure par ces tresses flottantes que caressent les brises de la mer Égée; par ces paupières dont les franges de jais baisent les roses de ta joue; par ces yeux aussi vifs que les yeux du chevreuil sauvage, ζώη μοῦ, σὰς ἀγαπῶ. Par cette lèvre que je brûle de savourer; par la ceinture qui entoure ta jolie taille; par tous ces emblêmes de fleurs 160 qui expriment ce que les paroles ne diraient jamais si bien; par les joies et les misères que l'amour tour à tour amène, ζώη μοῦ, σὰς ἀγαπῶ. Vierge d'Athènes! je suis parti: pense à moi, douce amie! quand tu seras seule. Quoique je fuie à Istamboul, Athènes renferme mon cœur, et mon ame. Puis-je donc cesser de t'aimer? Non! ζώη μοῦ, σὰς ἀγαπῶ.
Note du traducteur : Zoë mou, sas agapo, ou Ζώη μοῦ, σὰς ἀγαπῶ, est une expression de tendresse en langue romaïque (grec moderne). Si je la traduis, j'offenserai mes lecteurs, en paraissant supposer qu'ils sont incapables de le faire; mais si je ne la traduis pas, j'offense peut-être mes lectrices. De crainte que ces dernières ne donnent quelque mauvais sens à la phrase, je la traduirai, en demandant pardon aux savans. Cela signifie donc: «Ma vie, je vous aime!» paroles fort douces dans tous les idiomes, et aujourd'hui aussi souvent prononcées en Grèce que l'étaient autrefois, au dire de Juvénal, les deux premiers mots parmi les dames romaines, dont toutes les expressions d'amour étaient tirées du grec.
Researcher for this text: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]
Authorship
- by Alexis Paulin Pâris (1800 - 1881), "Vierge d'Athènes" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
- a text in English by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "Song", written 1810, appears in Childe Harold's Pilgrimage, a Romaunt: and other Poems, in Poems, first published 1812
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 ]
Researcher for this text: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2012-01-16
Line count: 24
Word count: 165