What is a prince? An heir to a throne
Which he one day will occupy, grandly alone?
Not Isaac: His gift is to give and to share…
Written on December 3, 1980 for a celebration of his 60th birthday earlier that year, Leonard Bernstein’s poem for American violinist Isaac Stern (1920 – 2001), beloved friend and musical collaborator, is a beautiful tribute to Stern’s dedication to raising a family and mentoring musicians.
Prince Isaac (for Isaac Stern)
Dear Isaac, you’ve listened to so many praises
And speeches, replete with grandiloquent phrases,
That you might be thankful if I may propose
To spare you tonight any ponderous prose,
And toast you in verse,
For better or worse.
This poem, which does not pretend to be art,
Is entitled Prince Issac, and comes from the heart.
What is a prince? An heir to a throne
Which he one day will occupy, grandly alone?
Not Isaac: His gift is to give and to share,
Renouncing the kingship, remaining the heir
To the kingdom of music, of beauty and truth,
And of justice and peace, and the glory of youth.
A curious prince, who deigns not to reign,
But rather to serve, in Apollo’s train;
To serve and to share; And his shares all return
to reward and ennoble prince Isaac Stern.
A curious Prince, never sporting his crest,
Who’d rather rejoice in his family nest.
But that nest is a princedom, a family realm
With its palace a tree, a wide-spreading elm
Whose branches are music, and players of same,
And whose sap is the blood of his family name.
One branch is Michael, and one branch is Vera,
One is called David, another called Shira.
A bright leaf called Itzhak, another called Mintz,
And Pinky — All stemming from Isaac the Prince.
This elm is not high, neither haughty nor tall,
But lordly in width, embracing us all:
Colleagues, disciples, and friends by the ton
Of whom I am happily proud to be one.
I conclude with a question, with which I began:
What is a prince? A prince is a man
Called Isaac; And all men are princes who learn
The lesson, and wisdom, of Isaac Stern.
~ Leonard Bernstein, December 3, 1980
About this poem
Bernstein’s poem and photos of the poem used by permission of The Leonard Bernstein Office, Inc. All rights reserved.
Bernstein describes Stern as a prince and an elm tree. He references the “branches” — “all stemming from ‘Isaac the Prince'” — referring to Stern’s family and musical protégés: Isaac’s late wife Vera, daughter Shira (now a rabbi), sons Michael and David (both now conductors), and violinists Itzhak Perlman, Shlomo Mintz, and Pinchas (“Pinky”) Zukerman. Stern is credited with “finding” Perlman and cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and mentoring a generation of violinists.
Stern was born on July 21, 1920. Bernstein wrote this poem on December 3, 1980 for Stern’s 60th birthday celebration, which was held in December that year.
Explore Bernstein and Stern’s musical collaborations.
I conclude with a question, with which I began:
What is a prince? A prince is a man
Called Isaac; And all men are princes who learn
The lesson, and wisdom, of Isaac Stern.
(Post updated, July 21, 2018)
