Let the bird of loudest lay On the sole Arabian tree, Herald sad and trumpet be, To whose sound chaste wings obey. But thou shrieking harbinger, Foul precurrer of the fiend, Augur of the fever's end, To this troop come thou not near. From this session interdict Every fowl of tyrant wing Save the eagle, feather'd king: Keep the obsequy so strict. Let the priest in surplice white That defunctive music can, Be the death-divining swan, Lest the requiem lack his right. And thou, treble-dated crow, That thy sable gender mak'st With the breath thou giv'st and tak'st, 'Mongst our mourners shalt thou go. Here the anthem doth commence: -- Love and constancy is dead; Phoenix and the turtle fled In a mutual flame from hence. So they loved, as love in twain Had the essence but in one; Two distincts, division none; Number there in love was slain. Hearts remote, yet not asunder; Distance, and no space was seen 'Twixt the turtle and his queen: But in them it were a wonder. So between them love did shine, That the turtle saw his right Flaming in the phoenix' sight; Either was the other's mine. Property was thus appall'd, That the self was not the same; Single nature's double name Neither two nor one was call'd. Reason, in itself confounded, Saw division grow together; To themselves yet either neither; Simple were so well compounded, That it cried, 'How true a twain Seemeth this concordant one! Love hath reason, reason none If what parts can so remain.' Whereupon it made this threne To the phoenix and the dove, Co-supremes and stars of love, As chorus to their tragic scene. THRENOS Beauty, truth, and rarity, Grace in all simplicity, Here enclosed in cinders lie. Death is now the phoenix' nest; And the turtle's loyal breast To eternity doth rest, Leaving no posterity: 'Twas not their infirmity, It was married chastity. Truth may seem, but cannot be; Beauty brag, but 'tis not she; Truth and beauty buried be. To this urn let those repair That are either true or fair; For these dead birds sigh a prayer.
H. Regt sets stanzas 14-18
C. Brumby sets stanzas 14-18 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
C. Brumby sets stanzas 14-18 in (at least) one setting - see below for more information
C. Taylor sets stanzas 14-18
About the headline (FAQ)
Authorship:
- by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), "The phoenix and the turtle" [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 Hermann Anders , "The phoenix and the turtle", [1977] [ reciter/singer and instrumental ensemble ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Philip Batstone , "The phoenix and the turtle", 1968 [ soprano and tape ], from Parvum, six-channel tape to be pre-recorded by the soprano [sung text not yet checked]
- by Colin Brumby (b. 1933), "Threnos", 1976, first performed 1980, stanzas 14-18 [ medium-high voice and piano ], from The English Songs, one of two settings [sung text not yet checked]
- by Colin Brumby (b. 1933), "Threnos", 1982, published [1983], stanzas 14-18 [ chorus (four or more voices), optional percussion, and guitar ], from Flexi Scores, one of two settings ; round ; Melbourne : Allans [sung text not yet checked]
- by Michael John Hurd (1928 - 2006), "The phoenix and the turtle", 1974, published 1977, first performed 1974 [ mezzo-soprano, SATB chorus, 2 timpani, string orchestra ], Borough Green : Novello [sung text not yet checked]
- by John Pierre Herman Joubert (1927 - 2019), "The phoenix and the turtle", op. 100 (1984), published 1984, first performed 1984 [ vocal duet for 2 sopranos with harpsichord and string trio ], London : Novello [sung text not yet checked]
- by David Lloyd-Howells , "Anthem for our time", 1973, first performed 1974 [ SATB chorus, flute, bass clarinet, horn, percussion, viola, violin, cello, and contrabass ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edgar Musgrave , "The phoenix and the turtle", 1962, first performed 1962 [ SATB chorus and orchestra ], London : Chester [sung text not yet checked]
- by Hendrik de Regt (b. 1950), "Threnos", op. 66 no. ? (1978), published 1980, stanzas 14-18 [ TTBB chorus a cappella ], from three madrigals for male choir, madrigal; Amsterdam : Donemus [sung text not yet checked]
- by Richard Simpson (1820 - 1876), "Let the bird of the loudest lay", 1875 [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Phyllis Margaret Duncan Tate (1911 - 1987), "A secular requiem (The phoenix and the turtle)", 1967, published 1970, first performed 1967 [ satb chorus and orchestra ], London : Oxford [sung text not yet checked]
- by C. Taylor , "Threnos : Beauty, Truth, and Rarity", published <<1964, stanzas 14-18 [ voice and piano ], London : Augener [sung text not yet checked]
- by Robert Turner (b. 1920), "The phoenix and the turtle", 1964, first performed 1964 [ mezzo-soprano, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, celesta, harp, violin, viola, and cello ] [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (François-Victor Hugo) , "Le Phénix et la colombe"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2011-06-28
Line count: 68
Word count: 353
Que l'oiseau au chant sublime qui habite l'arbre unique d'Arabie, soit le héraut éclatant et grave à la voix duquel obéissent les chastes ailes. Mais, toi, rauque messager, sombre précurseur du démon, prophète de la fiévreuse agonie, ne te mêle pas à cet essaim. Que de cette solennité soient exclus tous les oiseaux à l'aile meurtrière, hormis l'aigle, roi des airs : telle est la règle de ces obsèques. Que le prêtre en blanc surplis, appelé à chanter la musique funèbre, soit le cygne pressentant la mort, et qu'il solennise le Requiem. Et toi, corbeau trois fois centenaire qui fais noire ta couvée avec le souffle que tu lui communiques, c'est toi qui mèneras le deuil. Ici l'anthème commence : -- L'amour et la constance sont morts ; le phénix et la tourterelle se sont enfuis d'ici dans une flamme mutuelle. Ils s'aimaient à tel point que leur amour partagé ne faisait qu'un. Deux êtres distincts, nulle division. Le nombre était anéanti dans leur amour. Cœurs séparés, mais non disjoints ! on voyait la distance, et non l'espace, entre la tourterelle et son roi. Mais en eux c'était un prodige. L'amour rayonnait entre eux de telle sorte que la tourterelle voyait son être flamboyer dans le regard du phénix. Chacun était le moi de l'autre. Effarement de la logique ! l'identité n'était pas la parité. Avec leur nature, unique sous un double nom, ils ne faisaient ni un ni deux. La raison, confondue d'elle-même, voyait l'union dans leur division ; absorbés l'un dans l'autre, distincts l'un de l'autre, ces êtres étaient si bien assimilés, Qu'elle se demandait comment leur duo formait cet harmonieux solo. L'amour n'a pas de raison, non, pas de raison, si ce qui est séparé peut être ainsi mêlé. L'amitié a composé ce chant funèbre en l'honneur du phénix et de la colombe, astres suprêmes du ciel d'amour, -- faisant l'office de chœur dans leur scène tragique : Chant funèbre. La beauté, la loyauté, la perfection, la grâce dans toute sa simplicité, gisent ici réduites en cendres. La mort est maintenant le nid du phénix ; et le sein loyal de la colombe repose sur l'éternité. Ils n'ont pas laissé de postérité, et ce n'était pas chez eux infirmité : leur union était le mariage de la chasteté. Désormais la loyauté peut sembler être, elle n'est plus ; la beauté peut se vanter d'exister, elle n'existe plus ; car loyauté et beauté sont ensevelies ici. Inclinez-vous devant cette urne, vous tous qui êtes loyaux ou beaux, et murmurez une prière pour ces morts.
Authorship:
- by François-Victor Hugo (1828 - 1873), "Le Phénix et la colombe" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), "The phoenix and the turtle"
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 page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2011-06-28
Line count: 68
Word count: 424