by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
Translation by Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt (1819 - 1892)
Why is my verse so barren of new pride
Language: English
Available translation(s): ITA
Why is my verse so barren of new pride, So far from variation or quick change? Why with the time do I not glance aside To new-found methods and to compounds strange? Why write I still all one, ever the same, And keep invention in a noted weed, That every word doth almost tell my name, Showing their birth and where they did proceed? O, know, sweet love, I always write of you, And you and love are still my argument; So all my best is dressing old words new, Spending again what is already spent: For as the sun is daily new and old, So is my love still telling what is told.
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Sonnets, no. 76 [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 Daniel Ruyneman (1886 - 1963), "Sonnet of Shakespeare", 1949 [ voice and piano ], from Seven melodies, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Richard Simpson (1820 - 1876), "Sonnet LXXVI", 1865-6 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Adolf Wallnöfer (1854 - 1946), "Sonet 76", op. 78 no. 3, published 1904 [ tenor and piano ], from 5 Sonnette von William Shakespeare, no. 3, Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, also set in English [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt (1819 - 1892) ; composed by Adolf Wallnöfer.
- Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Samuil Yakovlevich Marschak (1887 - 1964) , no title, appears in Шекспир Уильям - сонеты (Shekspir Uil'jam - sonety) = Sonnets of William Shakespeare, no. 76 ; composed by Dmitry Borisovich Kabalevsky.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo) , no title, appears in Sonnets de Shakespeare, no. 76, first published 1857
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Perché il mio verso è spoglio di ogni nuovo ornamento", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-04
Line count: 14
Word count: 114
Sonet 76
Language: English  after the English
Was ist so arm an Neuheit mein Gedicht, Statt wechselnd nach der Mode sich zu schmücken? Warum versuch' ich's wie die Andern nicht, Prunkvoll, [gespreizt]1 und neu mich auszudrücken? Warum trägt mein Gedanke immerfort Ein und dasselbe Kleid, schlicht und gewöhnlich, Daß ich leicht kennbar bin, fast jedes Wort Auf seinen Ursprung zeigt, auf mich persönlich? O wisse, süße Liebe, immer sing' ich Von Dir allein, Du meines Liedes Leben! Mein Bestes neu in alte Worte bring' ich, Stets [wiedergebend]2, was schon längst gegeben. Denn wie der Sonne Auf- und Untergang: Alt und doch täglich neu ist mein Gesang.
View original text (without footnotes)
1 Wallnöfer: "geziert"
2 Wallnöfer: "wiederholend"
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler
1 Wallnöfer: "geziert"
2 Wallnöfer: "wiederholend"
Authorship:
- by Friedrich Martin von Bodenstedt (1819 - 1892) [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), no title, appears in Sonnets, no. 76
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Adolf Wallnöfer (1854 - 1946), "Sonet 76", op. 78 no. 3, published 1904 [ tenor and piano ], from 5 Sonnette von William Shakespeare, no. 3, Leipzig: Breitkopf & Härtel, also set in English [sung text checked 1 time]
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2009-12-05
Line count: 14
Word count: 99