Recorded in January 2022. Written in 1802, and first published in 1807.
The origin of the Venetian Republic was the flight of mainlanders, after the barbarian invasions of Italy, to the islands of the Adriatic Gulf. Its inhabitants believed that it…
Recorded in January 2022. Written in 1802, and first published in 1807.
The origin of the Venetian Republic was the flight of mainlanders, after the barbarian invasions of Italy, to the islands of the Adriatic Gulf. Its inhabitants believed that it was the oldest Republic in the modern world; and the liberty of its constitution was praised through Europe for centuries. It had a powerful Empire, grew fabulously wealthy by trade, and was a prominent defence against invasions from the East.
As the centuries passed, the power of Venice waned. In 1796, Napoleon invaded Italy; and in the following year, the Republic of Venice was annexed to Austria, losing its independence forevermore.
Line 8, “She must espouse the everlasting sea,” is a reference to the Marriage of the Sea, an ancient ceremony established about the eleventh century. In this ceremony, the doge would drop a consecrated ring into the sea, and then declare: “We wed thee, sea, as a sign of true and everlasting dominion.”
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Transcript:
Once did She hold the gorgeous East in fee,
And was the safeguard of the West; the worth
Of Venice did not fall below her birth,
Venice, the eldest child of liberty.
She was a maiden city, bright and free;
No guile seduced, no force could violate;
And when she took unto herself a mate,
She must espouse the everlasting Sea.
And what if she had seen those glories fade,
Those titles vanish, and that strength decay,—
Yet shall some tribute of regret be paid
When her long life hath reached its final day:
Men are we, and must grieve when even the shade
Of that which once was great has passed away.
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"Hélène Grimaud - Ravel Piano Concerto In G - Mov II (Adagio Assai)" by Sound Caviar is licensed and adapted under CC BY 3.0.
