Say over again and yet once over again

Say over again and yet once over again
That thou dost love me.  Though the word repeated
Should seem "a cuckoo-song," as thou dost treat it,
Remember, never to the hill or plain,
Valley and wood, without her cuckoo-strain
Comes the fresh Spring in all her green completed!
Beloved, I, amid the darkness greeted
By a doubtful spirit-voice, in that doubt's pain
Cry, "Speak once more, thou lovest!"  Who can fear
Too many stars, though each in heaven shall roll,
Too many flowers, though each shall crown the year?
Say thou does love me, love me, love me -- toll
The silver iterance! -- only minding, Dear,
To love me also in silence with thy soul.

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) , no title, from Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 21, published 1847

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

by William Henry Bell (1873-1946) , "Say over again" [voice and piano], from Three songs: words from "Sonnets from the Portuguese", no. ?
by James Arthur Bliss , ""Sonnet Twenty-One"", published 1919 [high voice, piano], note: portions of the sonnet not noted above have been omitted
by Noble Cain (1896-1977) , "Say Thou Lovest Me!", published 1935. [SSAATTBB a cappella]
by Celius Dougherty (1902-1986) , "Say over again, and yet once over again", 1975. [soprano, piano]
by Eleanor Everest Freer (1864-1942) , "Say over again", published 1910 [medium voice, piano], from Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 21.
by William Arthur Goldsworthy (1878-1966) , "Say over again, and yet once over again", published 1932 [SSA chorus and piano], from How Do I Love Thee, no. ?
by (Charles) Alfred de Kaiser (1872-1917) , "A cuckoo song", published 1912 [soprano, tenor, and piano], from Seven Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. ?
by Charles O'Neill (1882-1964) , "Say Thou Dost Love Me", published 1940. [SATB a cappella?]
by Lynn Steele (1951-) , "Sonnet XXI" [soprano and flute], from Three Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 1.
by Peter Tahourdin (1928-2009) , "Say over again, and yet once over again", 1968, first performed 1970 [speaker, alto, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, 2 violins, viola, violoncello, tape], from Riders in Paradise, no. ?
by Lajos Vass (1927-) , "Say Over Again", c1961. [soprano, piano]

by Viktor Ullmann (1898-1944) , "Sag immer wieder und noch einmal sag", op. 29 no. 2 (1940), from Drei Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen von Elizabeth Barett-Browning, übertragen von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 2.

Added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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Sag immer wieder und noch einmal sag

Sag immer wieder und noch einmal sag,
daß du mich liebst. Obwohl dies Wort vielleicht,
so wiederholt, dem lied des Kuckucks gleicht
wie du's empfandest: über Tal und Hag
und Feld und Abhang, beinah allgemein
und überall, mit jedem Frühling tönend.
Geliebter, da im Dunkel redet höhnend
ein Zweifelgeist mich an; ich möchte schrein:
«Sag wieder, daß du liebst.» Wer ist denn bang,
daß zu viel Sterne werden: ihrem Gang
sind Himmel da. Und wenn sich Blumen mehren,
erweitert sich das Jahr. Laß wiederkehren
der Kehrreim deiner Liebe. Doch entzieh
mir ihre Stille nicht. Bewahrst du sie?

by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875-1926) , no title, 1908, from Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen, no. 21

a text in English by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861) , no title, from Poems, in Sonnets from the Portuguese, no. 21, published 1847

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

by Viktor Ullmann (1898-1944) , "Sag immer wieder und noch einmal sag", op. 29 no. 2 (1940), from Drei Sonette aus dem Portugiesischen von Elizabeth Barett-Browning, übertragen von Rainer Maria Rilke, no. 2.

Date added to the website: 2008-11-26.