I. The waters are flashing, The white hail is dashing, The lightnings are glancing, The hoar-spray is dancing -- Away! The whirlwind is rolling, The thunder is tolling, The forest is swinging, The minster bells ringing -- Come away! The Earth is like Ocean, Wreck-strewn and in motion: Bird, beast, man and worm Have crept out of the storm -- Come away! II. Our boat has one sail, And the helmsman is pale; -- A bold pilot I trow, Who should follow us now, -- Shouted he -- And she cried: Ply the oar! Put off gaily from shore! -- As she spoke, bolts of death Mixed with hail, specked their path O'er the sea. And from isle, tower and rock, The blue beacon-cloud broke, And though dumb in the blast, The red cannon flashed fast From the lee. III. And Fear'st thou? and Fear'st thou? And Seest thou? and Hear'st thou? And Drive we not free O'er the terrible sea, I and thou? One boat-cloak did cover The loved and the lover -- Their blood beats one measure, They murmur proud pleasure Soft and low; -- While around the lashed Ocean, Like mountains in motion, Is withdrawn and uplifted, Sunk, shattered and shifted To and fro. IV. In the court of the fortress Beside the pale portress, Like a bloodhound well beaten The bridegroom stands, eaten By shame; On the topmost watch-turret, As a death-boding spirit, Stands the gray tyrant father, To his voice the mad weather Seems tame; And with curses as wild As e'er cling to child, He devotes to the blast, The best, loveliest and last Of his name!
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Authorship:
- by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 - 1822), "The Fugitives", first published 1824 [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 Hélène Heale (b. 1855), "The storm", published 1899, from Twelve Easy Rounds, no. 9 [sung text not yet checked]
- by D. Cyril Jenkins (1885 - 1978), "Storm-Song", published 1954 [ SSA chorus and piano ], also set in Welsh (Cymraeg) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Boleyne Reeves , "The fugitives", published 1861 [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Julius Seybt ; composed by Robert Schumann.
- Also set in Welsh (Cymraeg), a translation by T. H. Parry-Williams ; composed by D. Cyril Jenkins.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
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Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Vrchlický) , "Utečenci", Prague, J. Otto, first published 1901
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2007-08-18
Line count: 64
Word count: 264
I. Voda jak svítí, kroupy se řítí, blesky jak září, pěna se vaří — dál! Vichr lká, zvučí, z hloubi hrom hučí, hvozd k zemi se kloní, z kláštera zvon zvoní — dál! Jak moře jest země, v troskách chví se temně pták, člověk i plaz před bouří prchli v ráz — dál! II. „Člun s jednou plachtou jede, má plavčík tváře bledé; jistě by byli smělí, kdo nás by stíhat chtěli“ hovoří. A ona: „Veslo chyť v spěch a opusť čile břeh!“ — Však v divé krupobití se kule v sled jim řítí po moři. S ostrova, věže, skály, mrak jako maják v dáli, ztlumené hromu třeskem v chvat dělo rudým bleskem zahoří. III. „Nemáš strach, nemáš strach? Vidíš? Slyšíš? — Po vlnách v moře bouřném hlaholu neprcháme pospolu na svobodě?“ Plavčíka plášť oba kryl, srdcí takt jim v souzvuk bil, rty se chvěly sladkou zvěstí hrdým slibem lásky, štěstí ve pohodě. Ocean co v burácení jako hory u vlnění, zvedal se a padal teď prchal a se tříštil v změť po náhodě. IV. U bledé vrátné v dvoře podhradí, v srdci hoře ženich s hanby city honicí jak sbitý stojí pes. Na cimbuří v dešti, jak duch, jenž smrt věští otec, tyran šedý… svár vln v jeho bědy, zdá se, kles’. Kletby hlas jen lítě, jaká stihla dítě za poslední dcerou nejdražší — — v noc šerou dál se nes’.
Confirmed with SHELLEY, P. B. Výbor lyriky, translated by Jaroslav Vrchlický, Praha: J. Otto, 1901, pages 108-110.
Authorship:
- by Jaroslav Vrchlický (1853 - 1912), "Utečenci", Prague, J. Otto, first published 1901 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 - 1822), "The Fugitives", first published 1824
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: Andrew Schneider [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2019-07-26
Line count: 64
Word count: 232