They say that Hope is happiness

They say that Hope is happiness --
  But genuine Love must prize the past;
And mem'ry wakes the thoughts that bless
  They rose the first -- they set the last.
And all that mem'ry loves the most
  Was once our only hope to be:
And all that hope adored and lost
Hath melted into memory.

Alas! it is delusion all -- 
  The future cheats us from afar,
Nor can we be what we recall,
  Nor dare we think on what we are.

by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788-1824) , "They say that Hope is happiness", from Hebrew Melodies, no. 29, published 1815

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

by Giacomo Arri , "They say that Hope is happiness", published 1841. [voice and piano]
by Isaac Nathan (1790-1864) , "They say that Hope is happiness", published 1815 [voice and piano], from A Selection of Hebrew Melodies No. I, no. 29.
by John Thomson (1805-1841) , "They say that Hope is happiness", published 1834. [voice and piano]

Date added to the website: 2009-08-09.

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