Sail on, sail on

Sail on, sail on, thou fearless bark,
Wherever blows the welcome wind;
It cannot lead to scenes more dark,
More sad than those we leave behind.
Each smiling billow seems to say
"Though death beneath our surface be,
Less cold we are, less false than they,
Whose smiling wrecked thy hopes and thee."

Sail on, sail on, through endless space,
Through calm, through tempest, stop no more;
The stormiest sea's a resting-place
To him who leaves such hearts on shore.
Or, if some desert land we meet,
Where never yet false-hearted men
Profaned a world, that else were sweet,
Then rest thee, bark, but not till then.

by Thomas Moore (1779-1852) , "Sail on, sail on", from Irish Melodies

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

by (Edward) Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) , "Sail on, sail on", note: arrangement of a tune called The Hummingbird of the Barn
by John Axel Fernström (1897-1961) , "Sail on, sail on", op. 62 no. 4 (1942) [coloratura soprano and string quintet or orchestra], from Songs of the Sea, no. 4.

by Joseph (Gabriel) Rheinberger (1839-1901) , "Treib zu, mein kühnes Boot", op. 55 (Liebesleben) no. 6 (1864), published 1871, rev. 1871 [soprano and piano], second setting
by Joseph (Gabriel) Rheinberger (1839-1901) , "Fahr zu, mein kühnes Boot", 1864, published 2004 [voice and piano], first setting (composed the same day as the second)

Date added to the website: 2003-10-13.

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Treib zu, treib zu, mein kühnes Boot

[Treib zu, treib zu]1, mein kühnes Boot
Wohin der Wind dich werfen mag,
Nicht schlimmer ist der dunkle Tod,
Als dieser lichte Tag!
Mir ist's, als spräch es aus der Flut:
Wohl ist's hier kalt, wohl ist hier Nacht,
Doch kälter sind, die um den Mut,
Ums Hoffen dich gebracht!

[Treib zu, treib zu]1, und ruh nicht mehr,
Nur fort und nimmer heimwärts.
Ein Ruhort ist das wildste Meer
Für ein enttäuschtes Herz.
Doch finden wir ein einsam Land,
Wo nie erklang ein treulos Wort,
Das Blütenhauch in Gift verwandt:
Dort ruh, mein Boot, nur dort!

by Fanny (Franziska) von Hoffnaaß, née Jägerhuber (1831-1892)

a text in English by Thomas Moore (1779-1852) , "Sail on, sail on", from Irish Melodies

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

by Joseph (Gabriel) Rheinberger (1839-1901) , "Treib zu, mein kühnes Boot", op. 55 (Liebesleben) no. 6 (1864), published 1871, rev. 1871 [soprano and piano], second setting
by Joseph (Gabriel) Rheinberger (1839-1901) , "Fahr zu, mein kühnes Boot", 1864, published 2004 [voice and piano], first setting (composed the same day as the second)

Date added to the website: 2009-05-22.