In 1932, Mary Elizabeth Frye (1905-2004), an American, wrote a short poem to comfort a friend.
Do not stand at my grave and weep I am not there. I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in the morning's hush I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry; I am not there. I did not die.
Quote:
... the plight of a German Jewish woman, Margaret Schwarzkopf, who was staying with her and her husband, had inspired the poem. Margaret Schwarzkopf was concerned about her mother, who was ill in Germany, but she had been warned not to return home because of increasing unrest. When her mother died, the heartbroken young woman told Frye that she never had the chance to "stand by my mother's grave and shed a tear". Frye, according to Van Buren's research, found herself composing a piece of verse on a brown paper shopping bag. Later she said that the words "just came to her" and expressed what she felt about life and death.
Over the years, Mary Frye's words have inspired many creations.
Just recently, I came across a melody created by the Japanese composer Man Arai around 2006. This melody is very popular and has since been used by many.
1. Korean Lyrics (with English Subtitle Translation) The video clip below, is a South Korean translation and interpretation of Frye's poem set to Man Arai's melody. Performed by the South Korean lyric tenor, Im Hyeong-Ju, this version of the song was the memorial song for the 304 people who lost their lives in MV Sewul ferry tragedy in 2014.
From a lyric-writing perspective, what fascinates me most is comparing the two sets of lyrics and seeing how the two songs are structured. This allows me to ascertain how Frye's words were modified so that they could be massaged into really outstanding musical works in different languages and set against an existing melody.
I hope you find listening and watching these videos as instructive as I did.
1. The South Korean lyrics (translated into English)
Quote:
Please don't cry at my grave I am not there, I do not sleep Please don't cry for me I am a thousand winds I become a thousand winds that blow I am flying freely in the wide sky
I am the sunlight on the ripened grain in Autumn I am the diamond glint on snow in Winter I will wake you in the morning, becoming the lark I am the stars that shine at night I will defend you
You, standing in front of my grave Please stop your tears I am not there Please don't think I died I am a thousand winds I become a thousand winds that blow I am flying freely in the wide sky
I am a thousand winds I become a thousand winds that blow I am flying freely in the wide sky
I am flying freely in the wide sky
2. The English lyrics
Quote:
Please do not stand at my grave and weep I am not there, I do not sleep I am the sunlight on the ripened grain I am the gentle autumn rain
I am a thousand winds I am a thousand winds that blow I am the diamond glint on snow I am a thousand winds that blow
Please do not stand at my grave and cry I am not there, I did not die I am the swift rush of birds in flight I am the stars that shine at night
I am a thousand winds I am a thousand winds that blow I am the diamond glint on snow I am a thousand winds that blow
Please do not stand at my grave and weep I am not there, I do not sleep I am the sunlight on the ripened grain I am the gentle autumn rain
I am a thousand winds I am a thousand winds that blow I am the diamond glint on snow I am a thousand winds that blow
I am a thousand winds I am a thousand winds that blow I am the diamond glint on snow I am a thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glint on snow I am a thousand winds that blow
I'm really glad that you found time to have listen.
I absolutely love Man Arai's melody and the way it carries me along and really tugs at my heart strings. Im Jeong-Ju has a truly spectacular voice and his ability to stir my feelings transcends any language barriers that exist between his words and my ears.
My favourite version is with the Korean lyrics. For me, it's like listening to opera in Italian. I do not need to understand the words to feel the emotions behind the music, the words and their performance.
If you're interested, another truly outstanding presentation is the one below. I haven't worked out why but I cannot listen to this version without tears forming in my eyes. The combination of strings, piano, English horn, and Park Eun-Tae's voice really gets to me. I'd love to be able to write and arrange something to this level of expertise. (I'd better keep on practising!)
Hi Noel. I see that this poem is in the public domain... I think I would also like to have a go at setting it to music so I’m not going to listen to these examples until I have... thanks for some Sunday morning inspiration... definitely something I felt like I need today.
That's a really poignant poem, and a beautiful song to boot. I'm really curious to see where you take it It's neat to me that something of that nature is public domain - I've never heard of it before.
Last Chance! The Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac® Special Ends Today (May 31, 2026) at 11:59pm PDT!
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202 New RealTracks Released with Band-in-a-Box 2026!
With Band-in-a-Box® 2026, we've released 202 incredible new RealTracks (in sets 468-488) in a variety of genres—featuring your most requested styles!
Jazz, Funk & World (Sets 468-475):
Our new jazz, funk & blues RealTracks include a groovin’ collection of RealTracks and RealDrums! These include more requested “soul jazz” RealTracks featuring artists Neil Swainson (bass), Charles Treadway (organ), Brent Mason (guitar), and Wes Little (drums). There are new “smooth jazz” styles (4), which include a RealTracks first: muted trumpet, as well as slick new smooth jazz brushes options for drums. Blues lovers will be thrilled—there are more “classic acoustic blues” styles, including guitar (5), bass (4), and drums (10) with blues master Colin Linden, featuring understated and tasty background acoustic soloing, plus brushes drums and acoustic bass. There are also new electric blues RealTracks, including electric blues with PG favorite Johnny Hiland (3) and soulful electric slide guitar from Colin Linden (4). If you love funk & gospel, there are great new options this year, including gospel organ (3) from Charles Treadway, as well as new funk, tango, and rock ’n’ roll drums (3) and bass (1). And for big, bold arrangements, we have uptempo soul horns (4) featuring a three-part hip horn section with options for a full mix or stems of each individual horn — plus an accompanying rhythm section (4) of drums, bass, guitar, and electric piano!
Rock & Pop (Sets 476–482):
Our new rock & pop RealTracks bring a powerful mix of requested favorites, fresh genres, and modern chart-inspired styles! We have more of our popular “Producer Layered Acoustic Guitars (15)” featuring Band-in-a-Box favorite Brent Mason. We’ve continued our much-requested disco styles (10), and added new Celtic guitar (5) with a more basic, accessible approach than our previous Drop-D or DADGAD offerings. There are also highly requested yacht rock styles (17), inspired by the smooth, polished soft-rock sound of the late ’70s and early ’80s — laid-back grooves, silky electric pianos, warm textures, elegant harmonic movement, and pristine production aesthetics. Fans of heavier styles will love our new glam metal (13), capturing the flashy, high-energy sound of ’80s arena-ready guitar rock. We also have a set of rootsy modern-folk rock (18), with a warm, organic sound combining contemporary folk textures and driving acoustic strumming. And we’ve added lots of new modern pop styles (16) — the kinds of sounds you’re hearing on the radio today, featuring exciting new drums, synths, and cutting-edge RealTracks arrangements.
Country, & Americana (Sets 483–488):
Our new country & Americana RealTracks deliver a rich collection of acoustic, electric, and roots-inspired styles! We have new country pop (9) with legendary guitarist Brent Mason. There is also a potpourri (14) of bouzouki, guitars, banjo, and more, perfect for adding texture and character to contemporary acoustic arrangements. We’ve added funky country guitar (5) with PG favorite Brent Mason, along with classic pedal steel styles (5) featuring steel great Doug Jernigan. There are more country songwriter styles (8) that provide intimate, rootsy foundations for storytelling and modern Americana writing. Finally, we have “background soloing” acoustic guitar (12) with Brent Mason — simpler, but still very tasty acoustic lines designed to sit beautifully behind vocals or act as a subtle standalone solo part.
And, if you are looking for more, the 2026 49-PAK (for $49) includes an impressive collection of 20 bonus RealTracks, featuring exciting and inspiring additions to add to your RealTracks library. You'll get new country-rhythm guitar styles from PG Music favorites Johnny Hiland and Brent Mason, along with modern-pop grooves that capture today’s radio-ready sound! There are also new indie-folk styles with guitar, bass, 6-string bass used as a high-chording instrument, acoustic guitar, and banjo. Plus, dedicated "cymbal fills" RealDrums provide an added layer that work very well with low-key folky styles with other percussion.
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MIDI Styles Set 92: Look Ma! More MIDI 15: Latin Jazz
MIDI SuperTracks Set 46: Piano & Organ
Instrumental Studies Set 24: Groovin' Blues Soloing
Artist Performance Set 19: Songs with Vocals 9
Playable RealTracks Set 5
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SynthMaster Sounds Set 1 (with audio demos)
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MIDI Styles Set 93: Look Ma! More MIDI 16: SynthMaster
MIDI SuperTracks Set 47: More SynthMaster
Instrumental Studies 25 - Soul Jazz Guitar Soloing
Artist Performance Set 20: Songs with Vocals 10
RealDrums Stems Set 10: Groovin' Sticks
SynthMaster Sounds & Styles Set 2 (sounds & styles with audio demos)
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It's neat to me that something of that nature is public domain - I've never heard of it before.
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