by Sappho (flourished c610-c580 BCE)
Translation by Bliss Carman (1861 - 1929)
Softer than the hill‑fog to the forest
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the Aeolic Greek
Softer than the hill-fog to the forest Are the loving hands of my dear lover, When she sleeps beside me in the starlight And her beauty drenches me with rest. As the quiet mist enfolds the beech-trees, Even as she dreams her arms enfold me, Half awaking with a hundred kisses On the scarlet lily of her mouth.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Bliss Carman (1861 - 1929), no title, appears in Sappho: One Hundred Lyrics, no. 45 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in Aeolic Greek by Sappho (flourished c610-c580 BCE) [text unavailable]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Ivor (Bertie) Gurney (1890 - 1937), "The quiet mist" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2022-01-13
Line count: 8
Word count: 58