Jeptha's Daughter

Since our Country, our God -- Oh, my Sire! 
Demand that thy Daughter expire; 
Since thy triumph was brought by thy vow -- 
Strike the bosom that's bared for thee now! 

And the voice of my mourning is o'er, 
And the mountains behold me no more: 
If the hand that I love lay me low, 
There cannot be pain in the blow! 

And of this, oh, my Father! be sure -- 
That the blood of thy child is as pure 
As the blessing I beg ere it flow, 
And the last thought that soothes me below. 

Though the virgins of Salem lament, 
Be the judge and the hero unbent! 
I have won the great battle for thee, 
And my Father and Country are free! 

When this blood of thy giving hath gush'd, 
When the voice that thou lovest is hush'd, 
Let my memory still be thy pride, 
And forget not I smiled as I died!

by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788-1824) , "Jeptha's Daughter", from Hebrew Melodies, no. 7

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

by Isaac Nathan (1790-1864) , "Jeptha's Daughter", published 1815, from A Selection of Hebrew Melodies No. I, no. 7.

by Johann Karl Gottfried Loewe (1796-1869) , "Jeptha's Tochter", op. 5 no. 2 (1824).

by Robert Alexander Schumann (1810-1856) , "Die Tochter Jephtas", op. 95 (3 Gesänge) no. 1 (1849).

by Karl Müller , "Jephtas Tochter", op. 6 no. 5, published 1862 [high voice and piano quartet], from Hebräische Melodien, no. 5.

Date added to the website: 2003-11-10.

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Jephtas Tochter

Da Gott und mein Volk es verhängt,
  O Vater! daß Tod mich umfängt,
Da dich dein Gelübde befreit,
  Triff die Brust mir, -- ich bin ja bereit.

Nicht klag' ich, nicht traur' ich ja schwer,
  Und die Berge, sie sehn mich nicht mehr: --
Führt die Hand, die geliebte, den Stahl,
  So fühl' ich im Tod keine Qual.

Deß Vater, magst sicher du sein --
  Daß das Blut deines Kindes so rein,
Wie der Segen, von dir noch erfleht,
  Wie der Trost, der mich sterbend umweht.

Nicht erweiche der Jungfrauen Schmerz
  Dem Richter, dem Helden das Herz,
Die Schlacht, die für dich ich bestand,
  Befreite ja Vater und Land!

Ist dies Blut, das du gabest, verraucht, 
Ist der Ton, den du liebtest, verhaucht,
Denk' meiner, die Ruhm dir erwarb,
Und vergiß nicht, daß lächelnd ich starb.

by Adolf Böttger (1815-1870) , "Jephtas Tochter", from Hebräische Melodien, no. 7, published 1841

a text in English by George Gordon Noel Byron, Lord Byron (1788-1824) , "Jeptha's Daughter", from Hebrew Melodies, no. 7

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

by Karl Müller , "Jephtas Tochter", op. 6 no. 5, published 1862 [high voice and piano quartet], from Hebräische Melodien, no. 5.

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