Song Cycle by Erich Korngold (1897-1957)

1. Desdemona's song

Authorship

by William Shakespeare (1564-1616) , from The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, Act IV scene 3 [an adaptation]

a text in English from folk poetry/song tradition

See other settings of this text

Desdemona
 The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore tree,
 Sing all a green willow:
 Her hand on her bosom, her head on her knee,
 Sing willow, willow, willow:
 The fresh streams ran by her, and murmur'd her moans;
 Sing willow, willow, willow;
 Her salt tears fell from her, and soften'd the stones;

 [Lay by these:--]1

 Sing willow, willow, willow;

 [Prithee, hie thee; he'll come anon:--]1

 Sing all a green willow [must be my garland.]2

 [Sing all a green willow;]3

 [Let nobody blame him; his scorn I approve,-]4

 [Nay, that's not next.--Hark! who is't that knocks? 

Emilia:
 It's the wind.]1

Desdemona:
 [Sing willow, willow, willow,]3
 [I call'd my love false love; but what said he then? 
 Sing willow, willow, willow:
 If I court moe women, you'll couch with moe men!]4
 [Sing willow, willow, willow,]3

2. Under the greenwood tree

Authorship

by William Shakespeare (1564-1616) , no title, from As You Like It, Act II, Scene 5

See other settings of this text

Available translations (or transliterations, if applicable):

GER German (Julia Hamann)

Under the greenwood tree
Who loves to lie with me,
And [turn]1 [his]2 merry note
Unto the sweet bird's throat,
Come hither, come hither, come hither:
Here shall he see
No enemy
But winter and rough weather.

Who doth ambition shun,
And loves to live i' the sun,
Seeking the food he eats,
And pleas'd with what he gets,
Come hither, come hither, come hither:
Here shall he see
No enemy
But winter and rough weather.

If it do come to pass
That any man turn ass,
Leaving his wealth and ease,
A stubborn will to please,
Ducdame, ducdame, ducdame:
Here shall he see
Gross fools as he,
An if he will come to me.
Under the greenwood tree
Who loves to lie with me.

3. Blow, blow thou winter wind

Authorship

by William Shakespeare (1564-1616) , no title, from As You Like It, Act II, Scene 7

See other settings of this text

Available translations (or transliterations, if applicable):

ITA Italian (Ferdinando Albeggiani)
FIN Finnish (Paavo Cajander)

Blow, blow thou winter wind,
Thou art not so unkind
As [man's]1 ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not so keen
[Because]2 thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude.
[ Heigh ho! sing heigh ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then, heigh ho! the holly!
This life is most jolly.]3

Freeze, freeze thou [bitter]4 sky,
Thou dost not bite so [nigh]5
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp
As friend remember'd not.
[ Heigh ho! sing heigh ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship is feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then, heigh ho! the holly!
This life is most jolly.]3

4. When birds do sing

Authorship

by William Shakespeare (1564-1616) , no title, from As You Like It, Act V, Scene 3

See other settings of this text

Available translations (or transliterations, if applicable):

FIN Finnish (Paavo Cajander)

It was a lover and his lass,
  With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino
That o'er the green [corn-field]1 did pass.
  In [the]2 spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding a ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

[Between the acres of the rye,
  With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
These pretty country [folks]3 would lie,
  In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding a ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring. ]4

[This carol they began that hour,
  With a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
How that [a life]5 was but a flower
  In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding a ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.]6

[And therefore take the present time]7
  [With]8 a hey, and a ho, and a hey nonino,
For love is crownéd with the prime
  In the spring time, the only pretty ring time,
When birds do sing, hey ding a ding a ding;
Sweet lovers love the spring.

Search/Shop for

Sheet music:

  Search sheetmusicplus.com for Four Shakespeare Songs, Art song , Lieder, chansons, or works for solo voice
  Search musicroom.com for Four Shakespeare Songs, vocal/choral music

CDs:

  Search amazon.com for Four Shakespeare Songs, art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for Four Shakespeare Songs, art song, Lieder, or chansons

Books:

  The Art of the Song Recital [amazon.com]
  The Book of Lieder: The Original Texts of Over 1000 Songs [amazon.com]
  Search amazon.com for art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for art song, lieder, or chansons

Classical Vocal Repertoire