O mother, the young Prince is to pass by...

O mother, the young Prince is to pass by our door, --
how can I attend to my work this morning?
Show me how to braid up my hair; 
tell me what garment to put on.
Why do you look at me amazed, mother?
I know well he will not glance up once at my window; 
I know he will pass out of my sight in the twinkling of an eye; 
only the vanishing strain of the flute 
will come sobbing to me from afar.
But the young Prince will pass by our door, 
and I will put on my best for the moment.

O mother, the young Prince did pass by our door, 
and the morning sun flashed from his chariot.
I swept aside the veil from my face, 
I tore the ruby chain from my neck
and flung it in his path.
Why do you look at me amazed, mother?
I know well he did not pick up my chain; 
I know it was crushed under his wheels 
leaving a red stain upon the dust, 
and no one knows what my gift was nor to whom.
But the young Prince did pass by our door, 
and I flung the jewel from my breast before his path.

by Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) , no title, from The Gardener, no. 7, published 1913

a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) [text unavailable]

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 ]

by Franco Alfano (1876-1954) , "Mamma, il giovane Principe"

by Karol Maciej Szymanowski (1882-1937) , "Der junge Prinz I", op. 41 no. 2 (1918), stanza 1 [medium voice and piano], from Vier Gesänge (Cztery pieśni), no. 2, also set in Polish
by Karol Maciej Szymanowski (1882-1937) , "Der junge Prinz II", op. 41 no. 3 (1918), stanza 2 [medium voice and piano], from Vier Gesänge (Cztery pieśni), no. 3, also set in Polish
by Alexander Zemlinsky (1871-1942) , no title, op. 18 no. 2 (1922), first performed 1924, from Lyrische Symphonie, no. 2.

by Karol Maciej Szymanowski (1882-1937) , "Młody królewicz I", op. 41 no. 2 (1918), stanza 1 [medium voice and piano], from Vier Gesänge (Cztery pieśni), no. 2, also set in German
by Karol Maciej Szymanowski (1882-1937) , "Młody królewicz II", op. 41 no. 3 (1918), stanza 2 [medium voice and piano], from Vier Gesänge (Cztery pieśni), no. 3, also set in German

Date added to the website: 0000-00-00.

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O Mutter, der junge Prinz

[O]1 Mutter, der junge Prinz
Muß an unsrer Türe [vorbeikommen,]2
Wie kann ich diesen Morgen auf meine Arbeit Acht geben?
[O Mutter,]1 zeig mir, wie [soll mein Haar ich]3 flechten;
[Zeig]4 mir, was soll ich für Kleider [anziehen]5?
Warum schaust du mich so verwundert an, Mutter?
Ich weiß wohl, er wird nicht ein einz'ges Mal
Zu meinem Fenster aufblicken.
Ich weiß, im Nu wird er mir aus den Augen sein;
Nur das verhallende Flötenspiel
Wird seufzend zu mir dringen von weitem.
Aber der junge Prinz wird [bei uns]6 vorüberkommen,
Und ich will mein Bestes anziehn
Für diesen Augenblick.

[O]1 Mutter, der junge Prinz
Ist an unsrer Türe [vorbeigekommen,]2
Und die Morgensonne blitzte [auf]1 an seinem Wagen.
Ich strich den Schleier aus meinem Gesicht,
Riß die Rubinenkette von meinem Halse
Und warf sie ihm in den Weg.
Warum schaust du mich so verwundert an, Mutter?
Ich weiß wohl, daß er meine Kette nicht aufhob.
Ich weiß, sie ward unter den Rädern zermalmt
Und ließ eine rote Spur im Staube zurück.
Und niemand weiß, was mein Geschenk war, [und wer es gab.]7
Aber der junge Prinz kam an unsrer Tür vorüber
Und ich [hab' den]8 Schmuck von meiner Brust
[Ihm]9 in den Weg geworfen.

by Jan Śliwiński (1884-1950) , under the pseudonym Hans Effenberger

a text in English by Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) , no title, from The Gardener, no. 7, published 1913 ENG ITA POL

a text in Bangla (Bengali) by Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) [text unavailable]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

by Karol Maciej Szymanowski (1882-1937) , "Der junge Prinz I", op. 41 no. 2 (1918), stanza 1 [medium voice and piano], from Vier Gesänge (Cztery pieśni), no. 2, also set in Polish
by Karol Maciej Szymanowski (1882-1937) , "Der junge Prinz II", op. 41 no. 3 (1918), stanza 2 [medium voice and piano], from Vier Gesänge (Cztery pieśni), no. 3, also set in Polish
by Alexander Zemlinsky (1871-1942) , no title, op. 18 no. 2 (1922), first performed 1924, from Lyrische Symphonie, no. 2.

ENG English (Douglas Watt-Carter)
ITA Italian (Ferdinando Albeggiani)

Date added to the website: 2003-10-20.