by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861)
Translation by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)
Thou comest! all is said without a word
Language: English
Thou comest! all is said without a word. I sit beneath thy looks, as children do In the noon-sun, with souls that tremble through Their happy eyelids from an unaverred Yet prodigal inward joy. Behold, I erred In that last doubt! and yet I cannot rue The sin most, but the occasion -- that we two Should for a moment stand unministered By a mutual presence. Ah, keep near and close, Thou dove-like help! and when my fears would rise, With thy broad heart serenely interpose: Brood down with thy divine sufficiencies These thoughts which tremble when bereft of those, Like callow birds left desert to the skies.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806 - 1861), no title, appears in Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 31, 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), "Thou comest! all is said without a word", published 1910 [ medium voice and piano ], from Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 31 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Peter Tahourdin (1928 - 2009), "Thou comest! all is said without a word", 1968, first performed 1970 [ speaker, alto, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 2 violins, viola, violoncello, and tape ], from cantata Riders in Paradise, cantata [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- GER German (Deutsch) (Rainer Maria Rilke) , no title, appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 31, first published 1908
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-07-24
Line count: 14
Word count: 107
Du kommst. Und alles kläst sich ohne...
Language: German (Deutsch) after the English
Du kommst. Und alles kläst sich ohne Wort. Ich sitz in deinem Blick: in Mittagssonne sitzen die Kinder so, und immerfort bricht unerschöpflich unbewußte Wonne aus ihren Lidern welche zittern. Sieh, mein letzter Zweifel irrte. Ich beweine nur seinen Anlaß. Denn wir sollten nie so auseinanderstehen, daß der Eine dem Andern nicht mehr beisteht. Bleib ganz dicht, Hilfreicher. Siehst du meine Angst sich heben, so stelle hell dein breites Herz um sie. Laß aus dem Himmel deiner Schwingen nicht meine Gedanken; draußen sind sie wie verlorne Vögel hilflos preisgegeben.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 31, 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. 31, 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: 89