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The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold, And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold; And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea, When the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee. Like the leaves of the forest when summer is green, That host with their banners at sunset were seen: Like the leaves of the forest when autumn hath blown, That host on the morrow lay withered and strown. For the Angel of Death spread his wings on the blast, And breathed in the face of the foe as he passed; And the eyes of the sleepers waxed deadly and chill, And their hearts but once heaved, and forever grew still! And there lay the steed with his nostril all wide, But through it there rolled not the breath of his pride; And the foam of his gasping lay white on the turf, And cold as the spray of the rock-beating surf. And there lay the rider distorted and pale, With the dew on his brow, and the rust on his mail: And the tents were all silent, the banners alone, The lances unlifted, the trumpets unblown. And the widows of Ashur are loud in their wail, And the idols are broke in the temple of Baal; And the might of the Gentile, unsmote by the sword, Hath melted like snow in the glance of the Lord!
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Note: first published as "The Destruction of Semnacherib"Text Authorship:
- by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "The Destruction of Sennacherib", appears in Hebrew Melodies, no. 18, first published 1815 [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 Granville Ransome Bantock, Sir (1868 - 1946), "The Destruction of Sennacherib", published 1938 [ TTBB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Francis Boott (1813 - 1904), "The Destruction of the Assyrians", published 1888 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by A. Clifford , "Sennacherib" [sung text not yet checked]
- by Eliza Davis (flourished 1840-1900), "The Destruction of Sennacherib", published 1867 [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Stephen Ralph Glover (1812 - 1870), "The Assyrian came down", published c1850 [ low voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Clarence S. Hill , "Sennacherib", published 1914 [ alto or baritone and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by D. Cyril Jenkins (1885 - 1978), "The Assyrian came down", published 1912 [ TTBB chorus and piano ad libitum ], partson [sung text not yet checked]
- by Samuel Ernest Lovatt (1877 - 1954), "Sennacherib", published 1913 [ TTBB chorus a cappella ], ballad [sung text not yet checked]
- by Isaac Nathan (1790 - 1864), "The Destruction of Sennacherib", published 1815 [ voice and piano ], from A Selection of Hebrew Melodies No. I, no. 18 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Elizabeth Parker , "The Assyrian came down like a wolf on the fold", published 1908 [ low voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Alexander Patterson , "Sennacherib", published 1909 [ SATB chorus and piano or organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Lewys Thomas , "The Destruction of Sennacherib", published 1937 [ TTBB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ferris Tozer (1857 - ?), "The Destruction of Sennacherib", published 1921 [ TTBB chorus a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Bryceson Treharne (1879 - 1948), "The Destruction of Sennacherib", published c1921? [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by S. (Samuel?) Ward-Casey , "Destruction of Sennacherib", published 1936 [ TTBB chorus a cappella ], partson [sung text not yet checked]
- by F. L. Wiseman , "The Destruction of Sennacherib", published 1913 [ SATB chorus and organ ] [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Franz Theremin (1780 - 1846) , appears in Hebräische Gesänge, first published 1820 ; composed by Carl Loewe.
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by Hans Huber.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Ferdinand Freiligrath (1810 - 1876) , "So wird es geschehn", written 1870 ; composed by Gustav Flügel.
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Modest Petrovich Musorgsky (1839 - 1881) [an adaptation] ; composed by Modest Petrovich Musorgsky.
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Modest Petrovich Musorgsky (1839 - 1881) [an adaptation] ; composed by Modest Petrovich Musorgsky.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , "La destruction de Sennachérib", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- FRE French (Français) (Alexis Paulin Pâris) , "La destruction de Sennachérib", appears in Mélodies hébraïques, no. 18
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-15
Line count: 24
Word count: 236
L'Assyrien arriva comme le loup sur le troupeau, Et ses cohortes brillaient en pourpre et or ; Et l'éclat de leurs lances étaient comme les étoiles sur la mer, Quand la vague bleue roule la nuit sur la Galilée profonde. Comme les feuilles de la forêt quand l'été est vert, Cette armée avec ses bannières au coucher du soleil a été vue ; Comme les feuilles de la forêt quand l'automne a soufflé, Cette armée le lendemain reposait flétrie et éparpillée. Car l'ange de la mort a étendu ses ailes sur le souffle, Et a respiré à la face de l'ennemi quand il est passé ; Et les yeux des dormeurs ont été scellés par la mort et le froid, Et leurs cœurs ne se sont soulevés qu'une fois et pour toujours sont restés immobiles ! Et là le coursier était étendu avec ses naseaux tout ouverts, Mais à travers eux le souffle de son orgueil ne roulait pas ; Et l'écume de son halètement reposait blanche sur l'herbe, Et froide comme les gouttelettes du ressac battant le rocher. Et là gisait le cavalier déformé et pâle, Avec la rosée sur son front, et la rouille sur sa cotte de maille : Et les tentes étaient toutes silencieuses, les bannières seules. Les lances n'étaient pas dressées, et on ne soufflait pas dans les trompettes. Et les veuves d'Assur font grand bruit dans leur plainte, Et les idoles sont brisées dans le temple de Baal ; Et le pouvoir des Gentils, non frappé par l'épée, A fondu comme la neige sous le regard du Seigneur !
Text Authorship:
- Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2011 by Guy Laffaille, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
- a text in English by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788 - 1824), "The Destruction of Sennacherib", appears in Hebrew Melodies, no. 18, first published 1815
This text was added to the website: 2011-08-31
Line count: 24
Word count: 258