The subject of "‘Tis but in vain, for nothing thrives" is a heartbreaking account of poverty driving young people from their homes and families. Beethoven treats this with great tenderness and compassion.
‘Tis but in vain, for nothing thrives,
Where Dermot has to do,
Ill‐fortune seems, howe’er he strives,
His footsteps to pursue!
But one by one, when friends are gone,
Must I forsake him too.
O poverty! Full sure thou art
A foe the most unkind;
And weary, weary is the heart
That feels thee still behind.
But one by one, when friends are gone,
Must I forsake him too.
Next month he sails to find a home
Beyond the western tide;
And heav’n knows where he means to roam,
His houseless head to hide.
But one by one, when friends are gone,
Must I forsake him too.
Oh! Breathe it not thou passing wind,
I tell it thee alone,
My Dermot is not always, kind ‐
He breaks my heart, I own,
But one by one, when friends are gone,
Must I forsake him too.
Beethoven: 20 Irish Songs, WoO 153 - 15. 'Tis But in Vain, For Nothing Thrives
Beethoven: 20 Irish Songs, WoO 153 - 15. 'Tis But in Vain, For Nothing Thrives
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John Scialdone published this page in Daily Beethoven 2021-04-29 08:49:39 -0400