De wiere leafde' is swiet, al brekt se 't hert

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892)

Translation © by Geart van der Meer

And in those days she made a little song

Language: English

Our translations: DUT FRI

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.

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

• R. Walthew

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.
- Go to the text.

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

Researcher for this page: Peter Brixius

This text was added to the website: 2009-01-07
Line count: 15
Word count: 139

De wiere leafde' is swiet, al brekt se...

Language: Frisian after the English

[...
...
...]

"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!' "

About the headline (FAQ)

Text Authorship:

Translation from English to Frisian copyright © 2013 by Geart van der Meer, (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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in English 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
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2013-04-23
Line count: 15
Word count: 104