”The Poet’s Life” is a song written by the English composer Edward Elgar

Edward Elgar

Sir Edward William Elgar, 1st Baronet OM, GCVO was an English composer, many of whose works have entered the British and international classical concert repertoire. Among his best-known compositions are orchestral works including the Enigma Variations, the Pomp and Circumstance Marches, concertos...

 in 1892, with words by "Ellen Burroughs".

The manuscript of the song has a dedication to "Mrs. Fitton", but this is crossed out.

The song was published in 1907 as one of the Seven Lieder of Edward Elgar

Seven Lieder of Edward Elgar

The Seven Lieder of Edward Elgar is a set of songs by the English composer Edward Elgar published together in 1907, by Ascherberg, Hopwood & Crew Ltd.The set was published with German words 'by Ed...

, with English and German words.

Lyrics

German words by Ed. Sachs.

English THE POET'S LIFE A poet sang, so light of heart was he, . . . There follow'd fame, and swiftly, swiftly there follow’d fame.

German DICHTERLEBEN Ein Dichter sang, die Weise klang so hell. . . . Und sein Nam' und Ruhm ist in jedem Mund.

NOTES

There are about 20 lines of verse, of which only the first and last are shown.

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Recordings

• Songs and Piano Music by Edward Elgar has "The Poet's Life" performed by Mark Wilde (tenor), with David Owen Norris
  David Owen Norris
  -Life:Norris was born in 1953. He studied music at Keble College, Oxford where he was organ scholar; he is now an Honorary Fellow of the college. After leaving Oxford, he studied composition, and worked at the Royal Opera House as a repetiteur...
  
  (piano).

• The Songs of Edward Elgar SOMM CD 220 Neil Mackie (tenor) with Malcolm Martineau (piano), at Southlands College, London, April 1999