Break, break, [break,]1 On [thy]2 cold grey stones, O Sea! And I would that my tongue could utter The thoughts that arise in me. [O]3 well for the fisherman's boy, That he shouts [with]4 his sister at play! [O]3 well for the sailor lad, That he sings in his boat on the bay! And the stately ships [go]5 on To their haven under the hill; But O for the touch of a [vanish'd]6 hand, And the sound of a voice that is still! Break, break, [break,]1 At the foot of thy crags, O Sea! But the tender grace of a day that is dead Will never come back to me.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Poet's note: "Made in a Lincolnshire lane at five o'clock in the morning, between blossoming hedges." Written in memory of Tennyson's friend Arthur Hallam (d. 1833).
1 Végh: "o sea, o sea"2 Manning: "the"
3 Manning: "Ah"
4 Manning: "to"
5 Manning: "sail"
6 Végh: "vanished"
Text Authorship:
- by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892), no title, appears in Poems, Volume II, first published 1842 [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 Emanuel Abraham Aguilar (1824 - 1904), "Break, break, break", published 1864 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Thomas Anderton (1836 - 1903), "Break, break, break", published 1873 [ vocal trio and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by David Arditti (b. 1964), "Break, break, break", op. 3 no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by John G. Barnett (1802 - 1890), "The song of the sea", alternate title: "Break, break, break", published 1851 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Frank Bibb (b. 1887), "Break, break, break", published <<1940 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Blockley (1800 - 1882), "Break, break", published 1857? [ voice (or vocal duet) and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Karl Edmund) Otto von Booth (1842 - ?), "Break, break, break", published 1871 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Francis Boott (1813 - 1904), "O well for the fisherman's boy", published 1857 [ voice and piano ], from Florence, no. 5 [sung text not yet checked]
- possibly by William Boyd , "Break, break, break", published 1869 [ voice and piano ], note: may be by a different W. Boyd [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Hyatt Brewer (1856 - 1931), "Break, break, break", published <<1906 [ TTBB chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Percy Carter Buck, Sir (1871 - 1947), "Break, break, break", published 1869 [ SATB chorus with optional piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edward Bunnett (1834 - 1923), "Break, break, break", published <<1892 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Cecil Burleigh (1885 - 1980), "Break, break, break", published 1919 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Lewis Carey , "Break, break, break", published 1906 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by ? Cartwright, Mrs. Robert , "Stately ships glide on", published 1852 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Frederick Arthur Challinor , "Break, break, break", published 1903 [ satb chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henry Clark , "Break, break, break", published 1928 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John H. Corina (1928 - 2014), "Break, break, break", 1969 [ tenor, oboe, piano ], from Sea Songs for Tenor, Oboe, and Piano [sung text not yet checked]
- possibly by Frank Rowland Cox (1819 - 1891), "Break, break, break", published 1858 [ voice and piano ], note: composer given only as F. R. Cox [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bainbridge Crist (1883 - 1969), "Break, o Sea", published 1948 [ SSA chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur S. Darby , "Break, break, break", published 1928 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eliza Davis (flourished 1840-1900), "Break, break, break", published <<1892 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Richardson Dempster (1809 - 1871), "Break, break, break", published 1864, copyright © 1864 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Norman Dinerstein (b. 1937), "Break, break, break", 1960, first performed 1960 [ mezzo-soprano and violoncello ], from Two Settings on Texts of Alfred Lord Tennyson [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles A. A. Düring , "Break, break, break", published 1873 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by E[dwin?] Edwards , "Break, break, break", published 1872 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Patrick Keen Enfield (b. 1929), "Break, break, break", published 1961 [ TTBB chorus a cappella ], from Three Victorian Lyrics [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Axel Fernström (1897 - 1961), "Break, break, break", op. 62 no. 1 (1942) [ coloratura soprano and string quintet or orchestra ], from Songs of the Sea, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by David Foltz , "Break, break, break", published 1964 [ TTBB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by A. F. Frere , "Break, break, break", published 1867 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Stephen Ralph Glover (1812 - 1870), "Break, break, break", published <<1892 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Goldbeck (1839 - 1908), "Break, break, break on thy cold grey stones, o Sea", published 1870 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Claude Haydon (1884 - 1960), "Break, break, break" [ satb chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Isador) George Henschel (1850 - 1934), "Break, break, break", published 1880 [ voice and piano ], in Songs from the published writings of Alfred Tennyson [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henry Hiles (1826 - 1904), "Break! break!", published 1892 [ satb chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Sidney Homer (1864 - 1953), "Break, break, break", op. 6 (Eight Poems by Tennyson) no. 1, published 1901 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- possibly by E. Ellice Jewell (flourished 1880), "Break, break, break", published 1869 [ voice and piano ], composer given as E. Jewell [sung text not yet checked]
- by E. Ellice Jewell (flourished 1880), "Break, break, break", published 1869 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Frederick Septimus Kelly (1881 - 1916), "Break, break, break", 1899 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Frederic Kurzweil , "Break, break, break", published 1959 [ satb chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Louis Lavater (1867 - 1953), "Break, break", published 1925 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henry George Ley (1887 - 1962), "Break, break, break", op. 8 no. ?, first performed 1919 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by May (Toupie) Lowther (1874? - 1944), "Break, break, break", published 1901 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by George Alexander MacFarren (1813 - 1887), "Break, break on the cold grey stones", published 1867 [ satb chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edward B. Manning (1874 - 1948), "Break, break, break", published 1902 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Frederick John Easthope Martin (1882 - 1925), "Break, break, break", published 1915 [ voice and piano ], from Five Concert Songs [sung text not yet checked]
- by Russell Hancock Miles (b. 1895), "Break, break, break", published 1949 [ SSAATTBB chorus and 2 pianos ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Cecil Moore , "Break, break, break", published c1934-5 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by J. More , "Break, break, break", published 1855 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by W. H. Mudie , "Break, break, break", published 1909 [ mixed chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Myra , "Break, break, break", published 1861 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by William Harold Neidlinger (1863 - 1924), "Break, break, break", published c1906 or <<1906 [ mixed chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Herbert Stanley Oakeley (1830 - 1903), "Break, break, break", 1858 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by E. O'Beirne , "Break, break, break", published 1904 [ alto or baritone and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Albert R. Parsons , "Break, break, break", published <<1929 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Anthony Payne (b. 1936), "Break, break, break", 1996, first performed 1996 [ SATB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John P. Paynter , "Break, break, break", published 1954 [ satb chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alfred Humphries Pease (1838 - 1882), "Break, break, break", published 1862 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by A. J. Pecket , "O for the touch", published 1861 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by A. A. Pollock , "Remembrance", published 1861 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Arthur Ray , "Break, break, break", published 1890 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Theodore Livingston Raynor (1909 - 1970), "Break, Break, Break", op. 110 (1946) [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- possibly by Alfred Madeley Richardson (1868 - ?), "Break, break, break", published 1908 [ SSA chorus and piano ad libitum ], composer given only as A. M. Richardson [sung text not yet checked]
- by Roland Rogers (1847 - 1927), "Break, break, break, on thy cold grey stones", published 1904 [ ATTB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Cyril Bradley Rootham (1875 - 1938), "Break, break, break", c1904-8 [ TTBB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Stuart Ross , "Break, break, break", published 1944 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by James Shaw (1842 - ?), "Break, break, break", published <<1892 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Peter Pindar Stearns (b. 1931), "Break, break, break", 1951 [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by M. Stydolf, Mr. , "Break, break, break", published c1886 [ voice and piano ], from Five Songs, from the Works of the English Poets, &c. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Emily Tennyson, née Sellwood (1813 - 1896), "Break, break, break", published 1897? [ voice and piano ], arranged for publication by Natalie Janotha [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eric Harding Thiman (1900 - 1975), "Break, break, break", published 1957 [ SSA chorus and piano ], from Six Sea Songs [sung text not yet checked]
- by J. G. Veaco , "Break, break, break", published 1891 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by János Végh (1845 - 1918), as Johann Végh, "Break, break, o sea, o sea!", 1868, published 1869 [ voice and piano ], from Zwölf Gedichte, Heft 2, no. 12, Pest: Táborszky & Parsch; Wien: F. Wessely; Leipzig: Fr. Hofmeister, Nr. 72, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Ian Venables (b. 1955), "Break, break, break", op. 33 (Six Songs) no. 5 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Richard Henry Walthew (1872 - 1951), "Break, break, break", published 1898 [ voice and piano ], from Album of Twelve Songs [sung text not yet checked]
- by Maurice C. Whitney (b. 1909), "Break, break, break", published 1968 [ SATB chorus or SSA chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Lee Williams (1852? - 1935), "Break, break, break", published 1926 [ satb chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edmund Yates , "Break, break, break", published 1919 [ soprano, mezzo-soprano, and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Zeta , "Break, break, break", published 1850 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in Danish (Dansk), a translation by Christian Preezmann (1822 - 1893) ; composed by Peter Arnold Heise.
- 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.
- 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 Adolf Strodtmann (1829 - 1879) , no title ; composed by Heinrich Zöllner.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Eugen Oswald (1826 - 1912) , "Brich, brich, brich" ; composed by János Végh, as Johann Végh.
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 110
Schwer, schwer, schwer Brande zum Ufer, See! Und ich wollt', ich könnte singen, Was so mich füllt mit Weh. O, glücklich der Fischerbursch, Daß ihm spielend Schwestern nahn! O, glücklich der Seemannsbub', Daß er singt in seinem Kahn! Und die Schiffe segeln fort, Bis der blinkende Port sich zeigt -- Doch weh um den Druck einer kalten Hand, Und den Mund, der auf ewig schweigt! Schwer, schwer, schwer Brand' um da Riff, o See! Nie kehrt zurück uns ein todtes Glück -- Weh, weh, weh!
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Blätter für literarische Unterhaltung, Jahrgang 1868, Volumes 1-2, Volume 2, Leipzig, F. A. Brockhaus, 1868, page 571.
Text Authorship:
- by Adolf Strodtmann (1829 - 1879), no title [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Alfred Tennyson, Lord (1809 - 1892), no title, appears in Poems, Volume II, first published 1842
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Heinrich Zöllner (1854 - 1941), "An der See", op. 9 (Vier Lieder für 1 Singstimme mit Pianoforte) no. 3, published 1881 [ voice and piano ], Leipzig, Kistner [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2016-05-23
Line count: 16
Word count: 83