[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.]1

 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]2 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)
¹ Most of the settings use the song itself; Musical Settings of Early and Mid-Victorian Literature implies that Papini and Mrs. Phillips both use this stanza as well in their settings.
² Walthew: "is"

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 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.
  • Go to the text.
    

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 text: Peter Brixius

This text was added to the website: 2009-01-07
Line count: 15
Word count: 138

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"De wiere leafde' is swiet, al brekt se 't hert,
En swiet de dea, dy't ein'get alle smert -
Ik wit net wat it swietste is, ik net. 

Is swiet de leafde, bitter is de dea;
Is leafde bitter, swiet is dan de dea.
As stjerren swieter is, kies ik de dea.

It skynt as ein'get swiete leafde nea,
En makket ús ta deade klaai de dea -
Wat is it swietste: leafde of de dea?
 
Ik folge leafde' it leafst, mocht ik dy ha;
Ik folgje dochs de dea, dy ropt mij ta.
Kom dan, o! dea en rop mij: ik sis 'ja!' "