To‑morrow is Saint Valentine's day

To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,
And dupp'd the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more.

By Gis and by Saint Charity,
Alack, and fie for shame!
Young men will do't, if they come to't;
By cock, they are to blame.
Quoth she, before you tumbled me,
You promised me to wed.
So would I ha' done, by yonder sun,
An thou hadst not come to my bed.

by William Shakespeare (1564-1616) , no title, from Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5

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

by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) , unknown title, WoO posth. 22 no. 3 (1873), stanza 1, from Ophelia-Lieder, no. 3, note: also set in German

by Richard Georg Strauss (1864-1949) , "Zweites Lied der Ophelia", op. 67 (Sechs Lieder), Heft 1 no. 2 (1918).

by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) , no title, WoO posth. 22 no. 3 (1873), from Ophelia-Lieder, no. 3, note: also set in English

Date added to the website: 2003-11-26.

Gentle Reminder

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Zweites Lied der Ophelia

 Guten Morgen, 's ist Sankt Valentinstag
 So früh vor Sonnenschein.
 Ich junge Maid am Fensterschlag
 Will Euer Valentin sein.
 Der junge Mann tut Hosen an,
 Tät auf die Kammertür,
 Ließ ein die Maid, die als Maid
 Ging nimmermehr herfür.

 Bei Sankt Niklas und Charitas!
 Ein unverschämt Geschlecht!
 Ein junger Mann tut's wenn er kann,
 Fürwahr, das ist nicht recht.
 Sie sprach: Eh Ihr gescherzt mir mir,
 Verspracht Ihr mich zu frein.

 Ich bräch's auch nicht beim Sonnenlicht,
 Wärst du nicht kommen herein.

by Karl Joseph Simrock (1802-1876)

a text in English by William Shakespeare (1564-1616) , no title, from Hamlet, Act IV, Scene 5

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

by Richard Georg Strauss (1864-1949) , "Zweites Lied der Ophelia", op. 67 (Sechs Lieder), Heft 1 no. 2 (1918).

Date added to the website: 2003-11-26.