The poor soul sat sighing by a sycamore...

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

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

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

by Wolfgang Fortner (1907-1987) , "Willow, willow", 1946 [voice and piano], from Songs nach Texten von William Shakespeare mit Klavierbegleitung, no. 5.
by Erich Korngold (1897-1957) , "Desdemona's song", op. 31 no. 1, from Four Shakespeare Songs, no. 1.
by Sir Charles Hubert Hastings Parry (1848-1918) , "Willow, willow, willow", 1881-1883, published 1885, from English Lyrics, set 1 no. 4
by Betty Roe (1930-) , "The willow song", published 1974 [medium voice, flute, and piano], from Four Shakespeare Songs, no. 3.
by Sir Arthur Sullivan (1842-1900) , "The willow song", published 1866 [voice and piano], from 5 Shakespeare Songs, no. ?
by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) , "The willow song"

by Percy Aldridge Grainger (1882-1961) , "Willow, Willow"

by Johann Michael Vogl (1768-1840) , "Lied der Desdemona"

by Johann Karl Gottfried Loewe (1796-1869) , "Lied der Desdemona", op. 9, Heft 2 no. 2 (1827), published 1828.

by Wilhelm Petersen (1890-1957) , "Lied von der Weide", op. 46 no. 4, from Lieder aus Shakespeare-Dramen, no. 4.

by Johann Rudolf Zumsteeg (1760-1802) , "Aus Shakespeare's Othello I", published 1803, from Kleine Balladen und Lieder Heft V no. 14.

by Wolfgang Fortner (1907-1987) , "Lied vom Weidenbaum", 1946, from Songs nach Texten von William Shakespeare

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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Lied der Desdemona

Desdemona:
 Die Arme, wie seufzend am Ahorn saß sie!
 Singt alle von grünender Weide!
 Die Hand auf dem Busen, das Haupt auf dem Knie,
 singt: Weide! Weide! Weide!

 Frisch murmelt der Bach in ihr Ächzen hinein.
 Singt: Weide! Weide! Weide!
 Die salzige Träne besänftigt den Stein
 Lege dies hin! Singt: Weide! Weide! Weide!

 Ich bitte dich, mach' schnell,
 er wird bald kommen singt all,
 von grün Weide mein
 Kränzchen muß sein.

 Laßt keinen ihn tadeln!
 Ich bill'ge den Zorn!
 Nein, dies kommt noch nicht.
 Horch! Wer klopft?

Emilie:
 Es ist der Wind.

Desdemona:
 Falsch nannt' ich den Liebsten!
 Was sagte er dann?
 Singt: Weide! Weide! Weide!
 "Lieb' mehr als ein Weib ich;
 lieb' mehr als ein'n Mann!"
 Singt: Weide! Weide! Weide!
 So geh' nun! Gute Nacht!

by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist

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

a text in English from folk poetry/song tradition

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

by Johann Karl Gottfried Loewe (1796-1869) , "Lied der Desdemona", op. 9, Heft 2 no. 2 (1827), published 1828.

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