Queen Mary's Song

Lyrics#

Words used by Tennyson Hapless doom of woman happy in betrothing! Beauty passes like a breath and love is lost in loathing: Low, my lute; speak low, my lute, but say the world is nothing - Low, lute, low! Love will hover round the flowers when they first awaken; Love will fly the fallen leaf, and not be overtaken; Low, my lute! oh low, my lute! we fade and are forsaken - Low, dear lute, low! Words used by Elgar and German translation by Ed. Sachs Hapless doom of woman happy in betrothing, Beauty passes like a breath and love is lost in loathing: Low! my lute: Speak low, speak low, my lute, but say the world is nothing. Low! lute, low! Love will hover round the flowers when they first awaken; Love will fly the fallen leaf, and not be overtaken; Low, my lute! O low, O low, my lute! we fade and are forsaken. Low, dear lute, low! Glücklos Schicksal des Weibes, Glücklich nur im Wähnen, Schönheit schwindet wie ein Hauch, Und Lieb’ vergeht in Tränen: Leis’, mein Spiel ! Tön’ leis, o leis, mein Spiel, doch sag der Welt mein Sehnen. Sanft! Laute, sanft ! Liebe schützt die zarten Keime, Wenn sie Wurzel fassen; Liebe flieht die welken Blüten, Wenn Farb’ und Leben blassen; Leis’, mein Spiel ! Tön’ leis, o leis, mein Spiel! Verwelkt sind wir verlassen. Sanft, o Laute, sanft!

Recordings#

• Songs & Piano Music by Edward Elgar has “Queen Mary’s Song” performed by Amanda Pitt (soprano), with David Owen Norris (piano).
• Elgar: Complete Songs for Voice & Piano Konrad Jarnot (baritone), Reinild Mees (piano)
• The Songs of Edward Elgar, SOMM CD 220, Catherine Wyn-Rogers (soprano) with Malcolm Martineau (piano), at Southlands College, London, April 1999

Other versions#

Other settings of poems from Tennyson’s Queen Mary include songs by *Charles Villiers Stanford, incidental music to Queen Mary, Op. 6, including “The Lute Song Mary’s Song)” and “The Milkmaid’s Song”, 1876; *Kate Loder, “Queen Mary’s Song”, an undated manuscript signed with her married name Kate Thompson; *Horatio Parker, two songs: “Milkmaid’s Song” and “Lute Song”, 1904.

External links#

• • • , Felicity Lott, Joseph Middleton