Queen Mary's Song

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Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates "Queen Mary's Song" is a song written by the English composer Edward Elgar in 1889. The words are by Tennyson, sung by Queen Mary I of England as she plays a lute in scene 2, act 5 of his 1875 play Queen Mary: A Drama.[1]

It was composed between 14 June and 1 July 1889, and dedicated to J. H. Meredith, an honorary member of the Worcester Amateur Instrumental Society.[2]

The song was first published by Osborn & Tuckwood in 1889, then by Ascherberg in 1892. It was re-published in 1907 as one of the Seven Lieder, with English and German words. The German translator, one unidentified Ed. Sachs, named the song "Script error: No such module "Lang".", confusing the Stuart Mary, Queen of Scots with the Tudor Mary I of England.

Lyrics

Words used by Tennyson

Hapless doom of woman happy in betrothing!
Beauty passes like a breath and love is lost in loathing:
Low, my lute; speak low, my lute, but say the world is nothing -
Low, lute, low!

Love will hover round the flowers when they first awaken;
Love will fly the fallen leaf, and not be overtaken;
Low, my lute! oh low, my lute! we fade and are forsaken -
Low, dear lute, low!

Words used by Elgar and German translation by Ed. Sachs

Hapless doom of woman happy in betrothing,
Beauty passes like a breath and love is lost in loathing:
Low! my lute:

Speak low, speak low, my lute, but say the world is nothing.
Low! lute, low!

Love will hover round the flowers when they first awaken;
Love will fly the fallen leaf, and not be overtaken;
Low, my lute!

O low, O low, my lute! we fade and are forsaken.
Low, dear lute, low!

Glücklos Schicksal des Weibes, Glücklich nur im Wähnen,
Schönheit schwindet wie ein Hauch, Und Lieb' vergeht in Tränen:
Leis', mein Spiel !

Tön' leis, o leis, mein Spiel, doch sag der Welt mein Sehnen.
Sanft! Laute, sanft !

Liebe schützt die zarten Keime, Wenn sie Wurzel fassen;
Liebe flieht die welken Blüten, Wenn Farb' und Leben blassen;
Leis', mein Spiel !

Tön' leis, o leis, mein Spiel! Verwelkt sind wir verlassen.
Sanft, o Laute, sanft!

Recordings

  • Songs & Piano Music by Edward Elgar has "Queen Mary's Song" performed by Amanda Pitt (soprano), with David Owen Norris (piano).[3]
  • Elgar: Complete Songs for Voice & Piano Konrad Jarnot (baritone), Reinild Mees (piano)[4]
  • The Songs of Edward Elgar, SOMM CD 220, Catherine Wyn-Rogers (soprano) with Malcolm Martineau (piano), at Southlands College, London, April 1999[5]

Other versions

Other settings of poems from Tennyson's Queen Mary include songs by

References

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  2. Percy M. Young (1955). Elgar O. M. London: Collins Template:Catalog lookup link
  3. James Leonard. Songs & Piano Music by Edward Elgar at AllMusic
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  6. Incidental music to Queen Mary (Stanford): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project
  7. "Queen Mary's Song" (Loder): Scores at the International Music Score Library Project

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External links

Template:Edward Elgar Template:Portal bar Template:Authority control