Oh, had my fate been join'd with thine

 Oh, had my fate been join'd with thine,
 As once this pledge appear'd a token;
 These follies had not then been mine,
 For then my peace had not been broken!
 To thee these early faults I owe,
 To thee the wise and old reproving;
 They know my sins, but do not know
 'Twas thine to break the bands of loving.

 For once my soul like thine was pure,
 And all its rising fires could smother;
 But now thy vows no more endure,
 Bestow'd by thee upon another!
 Perhaps his peace I could destroy
 And spoil the blisses that await him;
 Yet let my rival smile in joy
 For thy dear sake I cannot hate him.

 Yes, once the rural scene was sweet,
 For nature seem'd to smile before thee:
 And once my heart abhorr'd deceit,
 For then it beat but to adore thee,
 But now I ask for other joys,
 To think would drive my soul to madness.
 In thoughtless throngs and empty noise, 
 I conquer half my bosom's sadness.

 Yet even in these a thought will steal,
 In spite of every vain endeavour;
 And fields might pity what I feel,
 To know that thou art lost for ever.
 Then, fare thee well, deceitful Maid,
 'Twere vain and fruitless to forget thee:
 Nor hope, nor memory, yeld their aid,
 But pride may teach me to forget thee.

by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788-1824) , "To a lady"

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

by Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) , "Oh, had my fate been join'd with thine", op. 108 (25 schottische Lieder mit Begleitung von Pianoforte, Violine und Violoncello) no. 12 (1815). [voice, violin, violoncello, piano]

GER German (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist)

Date added to the website: 2004-08-03.

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