The song of Love and Death

[And in those days she made a little song,
And called her song "The Song of Love and Death,"
And sang it: sweetly could she make and sing.]1

  Sweet is true love tho' giv'n in vain, in vain;
  And sweet is death that puts an end to pain:
  I know not which is sweeter, no, not I.

  Love, art thou sweet? then bitter death must be:
  Love, thou art bitter; sweet is death to me.
  O Love, if death [be]2 sweeter, let me die.

  Sweet love, that seems not made to fade away,
  Sweet death, that seems to make us loveless clay,
  I know not which is sweeter, no, not I.

  I fain would follow love, if that could be;
  I needs must follow death, who calls for me;
  Call and I follow, I follow! let me die.

by Lord Alfred Tennyson (1809-1892) , "The song of Love and Death", from Idylls of the King, Elaine's song in "Elaine", published 1859

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

by Michael William Balfe (1808-1870) , "The song of Love and Death", published c1860. [voice and piano]
by John G. Barnett (1802-1890) , "Love and Death", published 1859. [voice and piano]
by B. Beauchamp , "The song of Love and Death", published 1879. [voice and piano]
by John Blockley (1800-1882) , "Sweet is true love", published 1870? [voice and piano]
by Jacques (Jacob) Blumenthal (1829-1908) , "Sweet is true love", published 1880. [voice and piano]
by Ernest Crooke , "Sweet is true love", <<1892. [voice and piano]
by William Richardson Dempster (1809-1871) , "The song of Love and Death", published 1868. [voice and piano]
by E[dwin?] Edwards , "Sweet is true love", published <<1892. [voice and piano]
by A. Ewing , "The song of Love and Death", published 1872. [voice and piano]
by Arthur Foote (1853-1937) , "Elaine's song", published 1890. [voice and piano]
by Helen Fothergill (-1939) , "Sweet is true Love", published 1920.
by Stephen Ralph Glover (1812-1870) , "Sweet is true love", <<1892. [voice and piano]
by Walter Cecil Hay (1828-1905) , "Elaine's song", published 1861. [voice and piano]
by Edward Lear (1812-1888) , "The song of Love and Death", published c1860. [voice and piano]
by E. Levien , "The song of Love and Death", published 1863. [voice and piano]
by Maria Lindsay , "The song of Love and Death", published 1861. [voice and piano]
by C. Lushington , "Elaine's song", published 1881. [voice and piano]
by George Alexander MacFarren (1813-1887) , "Love and Death", <<1892.
by Sir Alexander Campbell MacKenzie (1847-1935) , "The song of Love and Death", published 1870. [voice and piano]
by Frederick C. Nicholls (1871-?) , "Elaine's song", published c1880. [voice and piano]
by G. Papini , "Elaine", published 1887. [voice and violin obbligato]
by Mrs. A. Phillips , "Elaine's song", <<1892. [voice and piano]
by Alfred Plumpton , "Sweet is true love", published 1866. [voice and piano]
by Elises Smith , "Elaine", published 1864. [voice and piano]
by Charlton Templeman Speer (1859-1946) , "The song of Love and Death", published 1897. [voice and piano]
by E. Stanynought , "Sweet is true love", published 1860. [voice and piano]
by Albert Orlando Steed (1839-?) , "Love and Death", alternate title: "Elaine", published 1861. [voice and piano]
by Richard Henry Walthew (1872-1951) , "A song of Love and Death", 1898. [mezzo-soprano, clarinet, and piano]

Date added to the website: 2009-01-07.

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