Fare thee well

Fare thee well! and if for ever,
    Still for ever, fare thee well:
Even though unforgiving, never
    'Gainst thee shall my heart rebel.

Would that breast were bared before thee
    Where thy head so oft hath lain,
While that placid sleep came o'er thee
    Which thou ne'er canst know again:

Would that breast, by thee glanced over,
    Every inmost thought could show!
Then thou wouldst at last discover
    'Twas not well to spurn it so.

Though the world for this commend thee -
    Though it smile upon the blow,
Even its praise must offend thee,
    Founded on another's woe:

Though my many faults defaced me,
    Could no other arm be found,
Than the one which once embraced me,
    To inflict a cureless wound?

Yet, oh yet, thyself deceive not;
    Love may sink by slow decay,
But by sudden wrench, believe not
    Hearts can thus be torn away:

Still thine own its life retaineth,
    Still must mine, though bleeding, beat;
And the undying thought which paineth
    Is - that we no more may meet.

These are words of deeper sorrow
    Than the wail above the dead;
Both shall live, but every morrow
    Wake us from a widowed bed.

And when thou wouldst solace gather,
    When our child's first accents flow,
Wilt thou teach her to say "Father!"
    Though his care she must forego?

When her little hands shall press thee,
    When her lip to thine is pressed,
Think of him whose prayer shall bless thee,
    Think of him thy love had blessed!

Should her lineaments resemble
    Those thou never more may'st see,
Then thy heart will softly tremble
    With a pulse yet true to me.

All my faults perchance thou knowest,
    All my madness none can know;
All my hopes, where'er thou goest,
    Wither, yet with thee they go.

Every feeling hath been shaken;
    Pride, which not a world could bow,
Bows to thee - by thee forsaken,
    Even my soul forsakes me now:

But 'tis done - all words are idle -
    Words from me are vainer still;
But the thoughts we cannot bridle
    Force their way without the will.

Fare thee well! thus disunited,
    Torn from every nearer tie.
Seared in heart, and lone, and blighted,
    More than this I scarce can die.

by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788-1824) , "Fare thee well"

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

by Charles Ainslie Barry (1830-1915) , "Fare thee well!", op. 2 (Six Songs) no. ?, published 1850? [high voice and piano]
by Thomas Bolton , "Fare thee well", published 1816. [voice and piano]
by Alphonse David Duvivier , "Fare thee well! and if for ever", published 1877. [voice and piano]
by Edith Ellsworth , "Fare thee well!", published 1925. [medium voice and piano]
by George Kiallmark (1781-1835) , "Fare thee well!", published 1820? [voice and piano]
by Gesualdo Lanza , "Fare thee well!", published 1820? [voice and piano]
by Clara Angela Macirone (1821-1915?) , "Fare thee well! and if for ever", published 1885. [ATTBB chorus and piano ad libitum]
by Thomas Miles , "Fare thee well!", published 1816. [high voice and piano]
by James Pach , "Fare thee well!", published 1860. [voice and piano]
by William Thomas Parke , "Fare thee well!", published 1816. [high voice and piano]
by James R. Phelps , "Fare thee well!", published 1858. [voice and piano]
by Alexander Phipps , "Fare thee well!", published 1873. [voice and piano]
by Josiah Reddie , "Fare thee well!", published 1816-7. [voice and piano]
by Charles Smith , "Fare thee well!", published 1817. [voice and piano]
by John Andrew Stevenson (1761-1833) , "Fare thee well!", published 1815. [duet for two voices with piano]
by Samuel Webbe, Jr. (1770-1843) , "Fare thee well!", published 1825? [voice and piano]
by John Whitaker (1776-1847) , "Fare thee well!", published 1819. [voice and piano]

by Carl Debrois van Bruyck (1828-1902) , "Leb wohl und wenn für immer" [voice and piano]

Date added to the website: 2009-08-10.

Gentle Reminder

This project is not funded. If you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your gift is greatly appreciated!      - Emily I also have a wishlist at Amazon.ca.

Search/Shop for

Sheet music:

  Search sheetmusicplus.com for Fare thee well, Fare thee well and if for ever, Art song , Lieder, chansons, or works for solo voice
  Search musicroom.com for Fare thee well, Fare thee well and if for ever, vocal/choral music

CDs:

  Search amazon.com for Fare thee well, Fare thee well and if for ever, art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for Fare thee well, Fare thee well and if for ever, art song, Lieder, or chansons

Books:

  The Art of the Song Recital [amazon.com]
  The Book of Lieder: The Original Texts of Over 1000 Songs [amazon.com]
  Search amazon.com for art song, Lieder, or chansons
  Search amazon.ca for art song, lieder, or chansons

Classical Vocal Repertoire