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THE MUSIC OF BOHEMIA
19
SLOVAK LOVE SONG
ENGLISH VERSION BY A. J. LATHAM
![\new PianoStaff <<
\new Staff {
\time 4/8
\tempo "Slowly"
\key c \minor
\partial 4.
\relative c'' {
<< \new Voice = "singer"
{ \autoBeamOff \stemUp r8 f4^~ | f8 f f f | ees d\> c4\!\fermata | bes4 bes8 bes | aes8 g f4\fermata |
f8 g aes g | f4 ees4\fermata | ees'8 f ees d | c2->\fermata \bar "||" }
\new Voice = "accompUpper"
{ \stemDown s8 aes4 _~ | aes2 _~ | aes | f | f8 e8 f4
d8 ees8 f ees | d4 bes4 | <c' g>8 <c a> \stemUp b4 \stemDown | aes_( g) }
\new Voice = "accompLower"
{ \stemDown s4. | s2 | s | s | s | s | s | s4 g8_( f) | <f d>4_( ees) } >>
}
}
\new Lyrics \lyricsto "singer" {
\override Lyrics.LyricText.font-shape = #'italic
\set stanza = #"1. "
Ah, sink from the sky, dear sun! Dark -- en the hill and plain,
Let no one be -- hold me, Cov -- er all my pain!
}
\new Lyrics \lyricsto "singer" {
\override Lyrics.LyricText.font-shape = #'italic
\set stanza = #"2. "
Ah, sharp is the hurt I feel, Torn is my soul with love:
Sweet -- heart, you a -- lone know, lit -- tle sil -- ver dove!
}
\new Lyrics \lyricsto "singer" {
\override Lyrics.LyricText.font-shape = #'italic
\set stanza = #"3. "
Gone, gone from the sky the sun, Dark -- en -- ing hill and plain,
Just for this one brief night: End -- less will_be my pain!
}
\new Staff {
\clef bass
\time 4/8
\key ees \major
\relative f {
r8^\f <f f' c>4 ~ q2 ~ q | <bes d>2^\p | c8 <bes c,>8 <aes f,>4
<< { bes2( | a4) g | c g | c, ~ c } \\
{ bes'4^\< d,8^( ees8) | bes4^\> ees4^\f |
c'8^\< f,8\! g8 g,8 | c4( c,) } >>
}
}
>>](http://upload.wikimedia.org/score/g/w/gw3i8srec64yg90nr7oigo9qqs3xaii/gw3i8sre.png)
Polka, which is of Czech origin, seems to be of peculiar interest. "The Polka was invented about the year 1830, by a country lass in Bohemia, who was in service with a citizen in
'What was the matter?' inquired my friend; 'did he drink or would he not work?' 'Oh, no,' said the old woman, 'but nothing will make him sing. It's a great misfortune.'" Scotus Viator (Seton Watson): Racial Problems in Hungary.