Friday 30 October 2026
7pm
Silk Street Music Hall

Tiger Tiger
Text by William Blake

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

In what distant deeps or skies
Burnt the fire of thine eyes?
On what wings dare he aspire?
What the hand, dare seize the fire?

And what shoulder, & what art,
Could twist the sinews of thy heart?
And when thy heart began to beat,
What dread hand? & what dread feet?

What the hammer? what the chain,
In what furnace was thy brain?
What the anvil? what dread grasp,
Dare its deadly terrors clasp!

When the stars threw down their spears
And water'd heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?

Tyger Tyger burning bright,
In the forests of the night:
What immortal hand or eye,
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry?

Ruhe, meine Seele! (Rest, my soul!)

Text by Karl Friedrich Henckell | Translation by Richard Stokes

Nicht ein Lüftchen,
Not even
Regt sich leise,
A soft breeze stirs,
Sanft entschlummert
In gentle sleep
Ruht der Hain;
The wood rests;
Durch der Blätter
Through the leaves’
Dunkle Hülle
Dark veil
Stiehlt sich lichter
Bright sunshine
Sonnenschein.
Steals.
Ruhe, ruhe,
Rest, rest,
Meine Seele,
My soul,
Deine Stürme
Your storms
Gingen wild,
Were wild,
Hast getobt und
You raged and
Hast gezittert,
You quivered,
Wie die Brandung,
Like the breakers,
Wenn sie schwillt!
When they surge!
Diese Zeiten
These times
Sind gewaltig,
Are violent,
Bringen Herz und
Cause heart and
Hirn in Not—
Mind distress—
Ruhe, ruhe,
Rest, rest,
Meine Seele,
My soul,
Und vergiß,
And forget
Was dich bedroht!
What threatens you!

Liebeszauber (Love’s magic)
Text by Emanuel Geibel | Translation by Richard Stokes

Die Liebe saß als Nachtigall
Love, as a nightingale,
Im Rosenbusch und sang;
Perched on a rosebush and sang;
Es flog der wundersüße Schall
The wondrous sound floated
Den grünen Wald entlang.
Along the green forest.

Und wie er klang, - da stieg im Kreis
And as it sounded, there arose a scent
Aus tausend Kelchen Duft,
From a thousand calyxes,
Und alle Wipfel rauschten leis’,
And all the treetops rustled softly,
Und leiser ging die Luft;
And the breeze moved softer still;

Die Bäche schwiegen, die noch kaum
The brooks fell silent, barely
Geplätschert von den Höh’n,
Having babbled from the heights,
Die Rehlein standen wie im Traum
The fawns stood as if in a dream
Und lauschten dem Getön.
And listened to the sound.

Und hell und immer heller floß
Brighter, and ever brighter
Der Sonne Glanz herein,
The sun shone on the scene,
Um Blumen, Wald und Schlucht ergoß
And poured its red glow
Sich goldig roter Schein.
Over flowers, forest and glen.

Ich aber zog den Wald entlang
But I made my way along the path
Und hörte auch den Schall.
And also heard the sound.
Ach! was seit jener Stund’ ich sang,
Ah! all that I’ve sung since that hour
War nur sein Widerhall.
Was merely its echo.

Bedeckt mich mit Blumen (Cover me with flowers)
Text by Emanuel Geibel | Translation by Richard Stokes

Bedeckt mich mit Blumen,
Cover me with flowers,
Ich sterbe vor Liebe.
I am dying of love.

Dass die Luft mit leisem Wehen
Lest the soft breezes
Nicht den süssen Duft mir entführe,
Rob me of their sweet scent,
Bedeckt mich!
Cover me!

Ist ja alles doch dasselbe,
For the breath of love
Liebesodem oder Düfte
And the scent of flowers
Von Blumen.
Is all one.

Von Jasmin und weissen Lilien
With jasmine and white lilies
Sollt ihr hier mein Grab bereiten,
You shall here prepare my grave,
Ich sterbe.
I am dying.

Und befragt ihr mich: Woran?
And if you ask me: Of what?
Sag’ ich: Unter süssen Qualen
I’ll say: in sweet torment
Vor Liebe.
Of love.

Ah, Love, but a day
Text by Robert Browning

Ah, Love, but a day,
And the world has changed!
The sun’s away,
And the bird estranged;
The wind has dropped,
And the sky’s deranged;
Summer has stopped.

Look in my eyes!
Wilt thou change too?
Should I fear surprise?
Shall I find aught new
In the old and dear,
In the good and true,
With the changing year?

Thou art a man,
But I am thy love.
For the lake, its swan;
For the dell, its dove;
And for thee — (oh, haste!)
Me, to bend above,
Me, to hold embraced.

Translations © Richard Stokes, author of: The Book of Lieder (Faber); The Complete Songs of Hugo Wolf (Faber), provided via Oxford International Song Festival (www.oxfordsong.org).