Who is Silvia? what is sheLanguage: EnglishWho is Silvia? what is she,
That all our swains commend her?
Holy, fair and wise is she;
The [heavens]1 such grace did lend her,
That she might admired be.
Is she kind as she is fair?
For beauty lives with kindness.
Love doth to her eyes repair,
To help him of his blindness,
And being helped, inhabits there.
Then to Silvia let us sing,
That Silvia is excelling;
She excels each mortal thing
Upon the dull earth dwelling;
To her let us garlands bring.
Translation(s): GER SPA FRE FIN DUT
View original text (without footnotes) 1 in some editions of Shakespeare, "heaven"
Authorship
by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616) , no title, from Two Gentlemen of Verona, Act IV, Scene 2 ![[setting text verified]](http://www.recmusic.org/images/ball.green.gif)
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, melodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)
by David Werner Amram (b. 1930) , "Who is Sylvia?", 1986 [voice and piano], from Four Shakespeare Songs, no. 1, C. F. Peters ![[setting text needs to be verified]](http://www.recmusic.org/images/ball.red.gif)
by Joseph W. Baber (b. 1937) , "Who is Sylvia", op. 9 no. ? (1953-6), first performed 1974 [SATB chorus a cappella], from Shakespearean Madrigals, Set 2 ![[setting text needs to be verified]](http://www.recmusic.org/images/ball.red.gif)
by Mary Grant Carmichael (1851 - 1935) , "Who is Sylvia", published 1885 [SA chorus (or vocal duet for soprano and alto) with piano], fromSix Songs for two voices, from Shakespeare (reissued as Six Shakespeare Songs), no. 6, London : J. Curwen & Sons ![[setting text needs to be verified]](http://www.recmusic.org/images/ball.red.gif)
by Gerald Finzi (1901 - 1956) , "Who is Silvia?", op. 18 no. 2 (1929), from Let Us Garlands Bring, no. 2. ![[setting text verified]](http://www.recmusic.org/images/ball.green.gif)
by John Linton Gardner (b. 1917) , "Who is Silvia?", op. 66 no. 2, published 1964 [women's chorus, piano duet, and optional percussion], from A Shakespeare Sequence, no. 2, London : Oxford University Press ![[setting text needs to be verified]](http://www.recmusic.org/images/ball.red.gif)
by Mervyn, Lord Horder, the Second Baron of Ashford (1910 - 1998) , "Who is Silvia?", 1985 [voice and piano], from Seven Shakespeare Songs, London : Lengnick ![[setting text needs to be verified]](http://www.recmusic.org/images/ball.red.gif)
by Juhani Komulainen (b. 1953) , "Who is Silvia?" [chorus] ![[setting text verified]](http://www.recmusic.org/images/ball.green.gif)
by Noel Lee (b. 1924) , "To Silvia let us sing", 2006. [soprano, clarinet and piano] ![[setting text verified]](http://www.recmusic.org/images/ball.green.gif)
by Noel Lee (b. 1924) , "Who is Silvia?", 1982 [tenor, clarinet, violoncello, and vibraphone], fromThree Songs from Shakespeare, no. 3.![[setting text verified]](http://www.recmusic.org/images/ball.green.gif)
by Roger Quilter (1877 - 1953) , "Who is Silvia?", op. 30 no. 1 (1926), published 1933 [voice and piano], from Four Shakespeare Songs (Third Set), no. 1, London, Boosey ![[setting text verified]](http://www.recmusic.org/images/ball.green.gif) Set in German, a translation by Eduard von Bauernfeld (1802 - 1890) , title unknownDUT ITA FRE FIN SPA by Franz Peter Schubert (1797 - 1828) , "An Silvia", alternate title: "An Sylvia", op. 106 (Vier Lieder) no. 4, D. 891 (1826). ![[setting text verified]](http://www.recmusic.org/images/ball.green.gif)
Available translations, adaptations, and transliterations (if applicable): SPA Spanish (Juan Henriquez Concepcion) , "¿Quien es Silvia?",copyright ⓒ 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FRE French (Guy Laffaille) , "A Silvia", copyright ⓒ 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
FIN Finnish (Erkki Pullinen) , "Kuka on Silvia?", copyright ⓒ 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (L. A. J. Burgersdijk) , title unknown
Text added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Notes about green, red, and white dots ![ball.white.gif](http://www.recmusic.org/images/ball.white.gif)
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| An SilviaLanguage: GermanWas ist Silvia, saget an,
Daß sie die weite Flur preist?
Schon und zart seh ich sie nahn,
Auf Himmelsgunst und Spur weist,
Daß ihr alles untertan.
Ist sie schon und gut dazu?
Reiz labt wie milde Kindheit;
Ihrem Aug' eilt Amor zu,
Dort heilt er seine Blindheit
Und verweilt in sußer Ruh.
Darum Silvia, ton, o Sang,
Der holden Silvia Ehren;
Jeden Reiz besiegt sie lang,
Den Erde kann gewahren:
Kranze ihr und Saitenklang!
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