by
John Donne (1572 - 1631)
What if this present were the world's...
Language: English
Available translation(s): FRE GER
What if this present were the world's last night?
Marke in my heart, O Soule, where thou dost dwell,
The picture of Christ crucified, and tell
Whether that countenance can thee affright,
Teares in his eyes quench the amazing light,
Blood fills his frownes, which from his pierc'd head fell.
And can that tongue adjudge thee into hell,
Which pray'd forgivenesse for his foes fierce spight?
No, no; but as in my Idolatrie
I said to all my profane mistresses,
Beauty, of pity, foulenesse onely is
A sign of rigour: so I say to thee,
To wicked spirits are horrid shapes assign'd,
This beauteous forme assures a piteous minde.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976), "What if this present", op. 35 no. 5 (1945), published 1946 [ high voice and piano ], from The Holy Sonnets of John Donne, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by John Eaton (1935 - 2015), "What if this present were the world's last night?", op. 1 no. 4, first performed 1957 [ voice and full orchestra ], from Song Cycle on Holy Sonnets of John Donne, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Juliana Hall (b. 1958), "What if this present ", 2013, first performed 2014 [ tenor and piano ], from The Holy Sonnets of John Donne - 9 Songs for Tenor and Piano, no. 5 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Guy Laffaille) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Daniel Johannsen) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 109
Was, wenn diese heutige Nacht der Welt...
Language: German (Deutsch)  after the English
Was, wenn diese heutige Nacht der Welt allerletzte wäre?
O Seele, in meinem Herzen, wo du wohnst, zeichne
das Bild des Gekreuzigten Christus und erzähle,
ob dich dieses Angesicht erschrecken kann:
Tränen in seinen Augen löschen das unglaubliche Licht;
Blut, das von seinem zerstochenen Haupt tropfte, füllt seine Stirnfalten.
Und könnte jene Zunge, die für die grimmige Bosheit seiner Feinde
um Vergebung bat, dich zur Hölle verurteilen?
Nein, nein; aber wie ich in meiner Abgötterei
zu all meinen ruchlosen Mätressen sprach:
Schönste! Bedauerlicherweise ist Schändlichkeit
nur ein Zeichen von Unbill: daher sage ich dir,
dass verruchten Geistern grauenvolle Formen bestimmt sind;
diese wunderschöne Gestalt verheißt ein Mitleid erregendes Gemüt.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translation of title "What if this present" = "Was, wenn diese heutige Nacht"
Authorship:
- Translation from English to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2020 by Daniel Johannsen, (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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2020-10-17
Line count: 14
Word count: 109