Song

When I am dead, my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
Nor shady cypress tree:
Be the green grass above me
With showers and dewdrops wet;
And if thou wilt, remember,
And if thou wilt, forget.

I shall not see the shadows,
I shall not feel the rain;
I shall not hear the nightingale
Sing on, as if in pain:
And dreaming through the twilight
That doth not rise nor set,
Haply I may remember,
And haply may forget.

by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830-1894) , "Song", from Goblin Market and other Poems, published 1862

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

by Gilbert A. Alcock , "When I am dead, my dearest", published 1911. [SATB, a cappella]
by David Arditti (1964-) , "When I am dead, my dearest", op. 10 no. 3, from Three Songs of Christina Rossetti, no. 3.
by Frederic Austin (1872-1952) , "When I am dead, my dearest", published 1911. [SATB a cappella]
by Frederick Barry (1876-1943) , "When I am dead, my dearest", published 1898. [voice and piano]
by Edgar Beck-Slinn , "When I am dead, my dearest", published 1904 [alto or baritone and piano], from Songs of the Heart
by Felix Borowski (1872-1956) , "When I am dead, my dearest", <<1956. [voice and piano]
by Walter Branson , "Song", published 1940. [voice and piano]
by (Robert) Houston Bright (1916-1970) , "Refection", published 1961. [SATB a cappella]
by James Henry Baseden Butt (1929-) , "When I am dead", published 1974 [soprano and piano], from Women Speaking
by Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968) , "Sing no sad songs for me", published 1952 [SSA chorus and piano], from Four Christina Rossetti Settings, no. ?
by George Whitefield Chadwick (1854-1931) , "When I am dead", 1910.
by H. J. Cheney , "When I am dead, my dearest", published <<1940. [voice and piano]
by Frederick Cliffe (1857-1931) , "When I am dead, my dearest", published 1902 [voice and piano], from Two Merry Songs and Two Sad Songs
by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875-1912) , "When I am dead, my dearest", published 1904 [alto and piano], from Six Sorrow Songs, no. 2.
by Alfred Redgrave Cripps (1882-1950) , "When I am dead, my dearest", published 1909. [voice and piano]
by Brian Blyth Daubney (1929-) , "When I am dead, my dearest", 1948. [mezzosoprano and piano]
by George A. Davies (1920-) , "When I am dead, my dearest" [voice and piano]
by Norman Dello Joio (1913-) , "Madrigal", published 1947. [SATB and piano]
by Oliver Henry Edwards (1902-) , "When I am dead", published <<1972 [TTBB a cappella], note: also set in Welsh
by George Selwyn English (1912-) , "The cypress tree", published 1961. [voice and piano]
by T. Walton Gillibrand , "When I am dead", published 1871? [voice and piano]
by Blanche Goode , "When I am dead, my dearest", published <<1940. [voice and piano]
by Ralph Greaves (1889-1966) , "When I am dead, my dearest", published 1946. [alto or baritone and piano]
by Richard Hageman (1882-1966) , "When I am dead, my dearest", published 1941. [voice and piano]
by Edward C. Harris (1899-?) , "When I am dead, my dearest", published <<1940. [voice and piano]
by Francis Hueffer , "When I am dead, my dearest", published 1973 [voice and piano], from Seven Songs
by Beroald Innes , "When I am dead, my dearest", published 1895. [voice and piano]
by John Ireland (1879-1962) , "When I am dead, my dearest", published 1928. [voice and piano or string quartet]
by Gerald Kechley (1919-) , "Sing no sad songs", published 1969. [SATB a cappella]
by Gerald Kechley (1919-) , "When I am dead", 1972 [soprano and two flutes], from Three Rossetti Songs
by Gustav Klemm (1897-1947) , "My dearest" [medium voice and piano]
by Lori Laitman (1955-) , "Song", first performed 1995 [soprano and piano], from Days and Nights, no. 5.
by Malcolm Leonard Lawson (1849-) , "Hereafter", published 1893 [voice and piano], from First Album of People's Songs and others
by Rex Le Lacheur , "Sing no sad songs", published 1970. [SATB a cappella]
by Liza Lehmann (1862-1918) , "When I am dead, my dearest", c1918. [voice and piano]
by Sir Alexander Campbell MacKenzie (1847-1935) , "When I am dead", published 1878 [voice and piano], from Three Songs
by Raymond Earle Mitchell (1895-1967) , "Sing no sad songs for me", published 1928. [voice and piano or orchestra]
by Arthur Finley Nevin (1871-1943) , "If thou wilt", published <<1929. [voice and piano]
by Thomas Tertius Noble (1867-1953) , "When I am dead, my dearest", published 1922. [SATB a cappella]
by O. Norman , "Sing no sad songs for me", published <<1940. [voice and piano]
by Juan Orrego-Salas (1919-) , "Song", 1945, first performed 1948. [alto and piano]
by Winthrop Parkhurst , "Epitaph", published <<1940. [voice and piano]
by Helen Lucas Pyke (-1954) , "When I am dead, my dearest", published c1949. [voice and piano]
by Roger Quilter (1877-1953) , "A song at parting", published 1952. [voice and piano]
by Oscar Rasbach (1888-1975) , "When I am dead, my dearest", published <<1940. [voice and piano]
by Sir Hugh Stevenson Roberton (1874-1952) , "Remembrance", published 1928. [TTBB a cappella]
by Martin Roeder (1851-1895) , "Entreaty", <<1895, published <<1929. [high voice and piano]
by Sibyl , "When I am dead, my dearest", published 1870. [voice and piano]
by Alice Mary Smith (1839-1884) , "Song", published <<1893.
by T. Wallace Southam , "When I am dead, my dearest", published 1966 [voice and piano], from Poetry Set in Jazz
by Hope Squire (1878-1936) , "When I am dead, my dearest", published 1938. [voice and piano]
by Halsey Stevens (1908-1989) , "When I am dead, my dearest", published 1942. [SATB a cappella]
by Robert Still (1910-1971) , "Song (When I am dead, my dearest)"
by Jón Þórarinsson (1917-) , "When I am dead", published 1966 [baritone and orchestra], from Of Love and Death
by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) , "When I am dead, my dearest", 1903?, published 1903. [voice and piano]
by Jack Villaume (1907-) , "Nature's Requiem", published 1957 [voice and piano], from By the Moongate
by Vally Weigl, née Pick (1894?89?-1982) , "When I am dead, my dearest", c1969-70.
by Arthur Battelle Whiting (1861-1936) , "When I am dead, my dearest", published 1904 [soprano and piano], from Three Songs
by Malcolm Benjamin Graham Christopher Williamson (1931-) , "When I am dead", published 1967 [voice and piano or string orchestra], from Six English Lyrics
by Jesse M. Winne , "When I am dead, my dearest", published 1936. [voice and piano]
by Raymond Huntington Woodman (1861-1943) , "If you dare forget", published <<1929. [medium voice and piano]

by Erich Korngold (1897-1957) , "Sterbelied", op. 14 no. 1 (1918), from Lieder des Abschieds, no. 1.

by Frank Valentin Van der Stucken (1858-1929) , "Gedenken - Vergessen", op. 17 (Acht Lieder) no. 7, published 1892. [low voice and piano]

by Oliver Henry Edwards (1902-) , "Pan fwyf mewn bedd", published <<1972 [TTBB a cappella], note: also set in English

GER German (Bertram Kottmann)

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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Sterbelied

Laß Liebster, wenn ich tot bin,
laß du von Klagen ab.
Statt Rosen und Cypressen
wächst Gras auf meinem Grab.
Ich schlafe still im Zwielichtschein
in schwerer Dämmernis -
Und wenn du willst, gedenke mein
und wenn du willst, vergiß.

Ich fühle nicht den Regen,
ich seh' nicht, ob es tagt,
ich höre nicht die Nachtigall,
die in den Büschen klagt.
Vom Schlaf erweckt mich keiner,
die Erdenwelt verblich.
Vielleicht gedenk ich deiner,
vielleicht vergaß ich dich.

by Alfred Kerr (1867-1948)

a text in English by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830-1894) , "Song", from Goblin Market and other Poems, published 1862

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

by Erich Korngold (1897-1957) , "Sterbelied", op. 14 no. 1 (1918), from Lieder des Abschieds, no. 1.

Date added to the website: 2003-11-11.