by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 - 1822)
Translation by Jaroslav Vrchlický (1853 - 1912)
When the lamp is shattered
Language: English
When the lamp is shattered The light in the dust lies dead -- When the cloud is scattered The rainbow's glory is shed. When the lute is broken, Sweet tones are remembered not; When the lips have spoken, Loved accents are soon forgot. As music and splendour Survive not the lamp and the lute, The heart's echoes render No song when the spirit is mute: -- No song but sad dirges, Like the wind through a ruined cell, Or the mournful surges That ring the dead seaman's knell. When hearts have once mingled Love first leaves the well-built nest; The weak one is singled To endure what it once possessed. O Love! who bewailest The frailty of all things here, Why choose you the frailest For your cradle, your home, and your bier? Its passions will rock thee As the storms rock the ravens on high; Bright reason will mock thee, Like the sun from a wintry sky. From thy nest every rafter Will rot, and thine eagle home Leave thee naked to laughter, When leaves fall and cold winds come.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 - 1822), "Lines: When the lamp is shattered", first published 1824 [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 George Antheil (1900 - 1959), "When the lamp is shattered", published 1951 [ SATB chorus and piano ], from Eight Fragments from Shelley, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by John G. Barnett (1802 - 1890), "When the lamp is shattered", published 1860, from A Series of Contralto Songs, no. 2 [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Robert) Houston Bright (1916 - 1970), "When the lamp is shattered", published 1970 [ SATB chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alfred (Lee) Budd, Jr. , "When the lamp is shattered", published 1942 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Cecil Armstrong Gibbs (1889 - 1960), "When the lamp is shattered", op. 2 (Two Songs) no. 2, unpublished [sung text not yet checked]
- by Frederick Septimus Kelly (1881 - 1916), "When the lamp is shattered", op. 6 (Six Songs) no. 3 (1910-1913), published 1913 [ voice and piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Vrchlický) , "Verše ", Prague, J. Otto, first published 1901
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2005-01-26
Line count: 32
Word count: 179
Verše
Language: Czech (Čeština) after the English
Když lampa jest ztroskotána, tu světlo mrtvé tlí v prachu, když mraků clona jest zdrána, kde duha jest v barev svých nachu? Když loutna se ve trosky chýlí, kdo vzpomíná tón její zas? A rty když domluvily, jest zapomnín brzy jich hlas. Jak nežijí hudba i lesky, když loutna i lampa jsou prach, tak srdce nářek i stesky jsou mrtvy, duch když jest v tmách. Tu chmurné zjevy jen zvoní jak vítr v ruiny zdech, jak žalný kvil vln se tu roní v mroucího plavce vzdech. Když srdce jednou se spjala, opouští láska hnízdo hned, část slabší z nich úděl svůj vzala nést, co jí druhdy celý svět. Ó lásko, jež nad vším zde kvílíš, co křehké jest v tom světě zlob, proč nejslabší volit si pílíš za kolébku, pobyt i hrob? Ó budou vášně rvát tebe, jak havrany bouře rve v zlobě, jak slunce s chladného nebe tak rozum se vysměje tobě! Trám každý z hnízda ti spadne, stát orel budeš na posměch, až větry zadují chladné a listí spadne s větví všech.
Confirmed with SHELLEY, P. B. Výbor lyriky, translated by Jaroslav Vrchlický, Praha: J. Otto, 1901, pages 161-162.
Text Authorship:
- by Jaroslav Vrchlický (1853 - 1912), "Verše ", Prague, J. Otto, first published 1901 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 - 1822), "Lines: When the lamp is shattered", first published 1824
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this page: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-07-26
Line count: 32
Word count: 174