by Sara Teasdale (1884 - 1933)
I asked the heaven of stars
Language: English
I asked the heaven of stars What I should give my love -- It answered me with silence, Silence above. I asked the darkened sea Down where the fishers go -- It answered me with silence, Silence below. Oh, I could give him weeping, Or I could give him song -- But how can I give silence My whole life long?
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Sara Teasdale (1884 - 1933), "Night Song at Amalfi", appears in Rivers to the Sea, in Vignettes Overseas, no. 5, first published 1915 [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 Alice Barnett (1886 - 1975), "Night Song at Amalfi", published 1919 [ high voice, piano ], from Four Songs [sung text not yet checked]
- by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867 - 1944), "Night Song at Amalfi", op. 78 (Three Songs) no. 2, published 1917 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Woods Duke (1899 - 1984), "Night Song at Amalfi", 1982 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Harry Alexander Matthews (1879 - 1973), "Night Song at Amalfi", published 1950 [ voice, piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Harry Alexander Matthews (1879 - 1973), "Night Song at Amalfi", published 1949 [ SSA chorus and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Charles Naginski (1909 - 1940), "Night Song at Amalfi", published 1942 [ medium voice and piano ], from Four songs [sung text not yet checked]
- by Rick Sowash (b. 1950), "Unrequited Love: "Night Song at Amalfi"" [ voice and piano ], from Three Love Songs on Poems by Sarah Teasdale, no. 2, from Teasdale Songs for mezzo-soprano and piano, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Wintter Haynes Watts (1884 - 1962), "Night Song at Amalfi", published 1919 [ high voice, piano ], from Vignettes Overseas, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by David H. Williams (b. 1919), "Night Song" [ TB chorus ], partsong [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Georg von der Vring (1889 - 1968) , "Nachts bei Amalfi", appears in Englisch Horn: Anthologie angelsächsischer Lyrik von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart ; composed by Harald Genzmer.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2004-05-07
Line count: 12
Word count: 58