by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861)
Translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
Yet, love, mere love, is beautiful...
Language: English
Yet, love, mere love, is beautiful indeed And worthy of acceptation. Fire is bright, Let temple burn, or flax; an equal light Leaps in the flame from cedar-plank or weed: And love is fire. And when I say at need I love thee . . . mark! . . . I love thee -- in thy sight I stand transfigured, glorified aright, With conscience of the new rays that proceed Out of my face toward thine. There's nothing low In love, when love the lowest: meanest creatures Who love God, God accepts while loving so. And what I feel, across the inferior features Of what I am, doth flash itself, and show How that great work of Love enhances Nature's.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), no title, appears in Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 10, first published 1847 [author's text not yet checked 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 Eleanor Everest Freer (1864 - 1942), "Yet, love, mere love, is beautiful indeed", published 1907 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], from Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 10 [sung text not yet checked]
- by (Charles) Alfred de Kaiser (1872 - 1917), "A Paean Love", published 1912 [ duet for soprano and tenor with piano ], from Seven Sonnets from the Portuguese [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bernard James Naylor (1907 - 1986), "Yet, love, mere love, is beautiful indeed", 1948, first performed 1955 [ mezzo-soprano and string quartet ], from Sonnets from the Portuguese [sung text not yet checked]
- by Carlos Surinach (b. 1915), "Yet, love is beautiful indeed", published 1966 [ voice and piano ], from Flamenco Meditations [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Rainer Maria Rilke) , appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 10, first published 1908
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-07-23
Line count: 14
Word count: 119
Doch Liebe, einfach Liebe, ist sie nicht
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
Doch Liebe, einfach Liebe, ist sie nicht schön und des Nehmens wert? Es strahlt die Flamme ob Tempel brennen oder Werg. Es bricht Licht aus dem Abfall und dem Zedernstamme. Liebe ist Feuer. Und: ich liebe dich - - gib acht -: ich liebe dich - wenn ich das sage, steh ich verwandelt nicht mit einem Schlage verklärt vor dir? Ich fühle selbst, wie ich anscheine dein Gesicht. Wo Liebe je sich niedrig macht, kann sie nicht niedrig werden: Gott nimmt Geringe an, die sich gebärden so wie sie sind. Das, was ich fühle, blendet, über dem Dunkeln, das ich bin: ich seh wie Liebe wirkend die Natur vollendet.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 10, first published 1908 [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), no title, appears in Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 10, first published 1847
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 text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-02-19
Line count: 14
Word count: 106