Away! away! O, do not say He can prove false to me: Let me believe but this brief day In his fidelity; Tell me, that rivers backward flow, That unsunned snows like fire-brands glow, I may believe that lay, But never can believe that he Is false and fled away. Ill acted part! ill acted part! I knew his noble mind, He could not break a trusting heart, Nor leave his love behind; Tell me yon sun will cease to rise, Or stars at night to gem the skies, I may believe such lay; But never can believe that he Is false and fled away. Can it be so? O, surely no! Must I perforce believe That he I loved and trusted so, Vowed only to deceive? Heap coals of fire on this lone head, Or in pure pity strike me dead, -- 'Twere kindness on the day That tells me one I loved so well, Is false, -- is fled away!
Confirmed with The Poetical Works of William Motherwell: With Memoir by James M'Conechy, Esq, Glasgow, David Robertson, 1849, pages 189-190.
Authorship:
- by William Motherwell (1797 - 1835), "Away! Away! O, do not say" [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):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Heinrich Julius Heintze (1811 - 1860) , "Liebesvertrauen" ; composed by Heinrich August Marschner.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2020-02-29
Line count: 27
Word count: 160
O geh', o geh', und nimmer sag', Daß er mir treulos sei! Laß glauben mich den kurzen Tag An meines Liebsten Treu! Sag' mir, zur Quelle kehr' ein Fluß, Der Schnee erglüh' wie'n Feuerguß, Dies glaubt' ich eher schon; Doch nimmer kann ich glauben, er Sei treulos mir entfloh'n. Er trieb' nur Scherz? er trieb' nur Scherz? Ich kenne sein Gemüth! Er bricht gewiß kein liebend Herz Und läßt sein Lieb und flieht! Sag' mir, die Sonn' geh' auf nicht mehr, Nachts glänz' nicht mehr das Sternenheer, Dies glaubt' ich eher schon; Doch nimmer kann ich glauben, er Sei treulos mir entfloh'n. O, kann 's so sein? nein, wahrlich nein! Muß glauben es mein Ohr, Daß der vertraute Liebste mein Nur mich zu trügen schwor? Häuf' glüh'nde Kohlen auf [dies]1 Haupt, Bis mir der Schmerz das Leben raubt - Dies wär' ein Gotteslohn Den Tag, der mir gesagt, mein Lieb Sei treulos mir entfloh'n.
Confirmed with William Motherwell's und Robert Tannahill's Gedichte. Deutsch von Heinrich Julius Heintze. Mit Notizen aus dem Leben beider Dichter und erläuternden Bemerkungen, Leipzig, Verlag von Johann Ambr. Barth, 1841, pages 184-185.
1 Marschner: "mein"Authorship:
- by Heinrich Julius Heintze (1811 - 1860), "Liebesvertrauen" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by William Motherwell (1797 - 1835), "Away! Away! O, do not say"
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Heinrich August Marschner (1795 - 1861), "Liebesvertrauen", op. 125 no. 4, published 1843 [ soprano or tenor and piano ], from Caledon. 5 Lieder, no. 4, Hannover, Bachmann [sung text checked 1 time]
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2020-02-29
Line count: 27
Word count: 154