Bahnhofstrasse | The eyes that mock me sign the way

by James Joyce (1882 - 1941)

The eyes that mock me sign the way

Language: English

Our translations: FRE

The eyes that mock me sign the way
Whereto I pass at eve of day,

Grey way whose violet signals are
The trysting and the twining star.

Ah star of evil! star of pain!
Highhearted youth comes not again

Nor old heart's wisdom yet to know
The signs that mock me as I go.

About the headline (FAQ)

First published in Anglo-French Review, August 1919

Text Authorship:

by James Joyce (1882 - 1941), "Bahnhofstrasse", written 1918, appears in Pomes Penyeach, no. 12 [author's text not yet checked 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 Stanley Richard Bate (1913 - 1959), "Bahnhofstrasse", published 1951 [ low voice and piano ], from Five Songs [sung text not yet checked]
by David Del Tredici (1937 - 2023), "Bahnhofstrasse", 1959, first performed 1983, from Two Songs on Poems of James Joyce, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
by Robin Field (b. 1935), "The eyes that mock me sign the way", 1967 [ tenor, oboe, and string quartet ], from The sly reeds whisper [sung text not yet checked]
by John Gruen (b. 1927), "Bahnhofstrasse" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
by Charles Wilfred Orr (1893 - 1976), "Bahnhofstrasse", c1931, published 1933, first performed 1932 [ tenor and piano ], from The Joyce Book, no. 12, from Four Songs for High Voice and Piano, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 8
Word count: 54