Song From Childhood (Z dětství), H 51, on poetry by Detlev van Liliencron (1844–1909), was written in Prague in March 1912. The translator of the lyrics to the Czech language is unknown. The poetry speaks about the melancholy of old age and remembering the joy of youth and friends, perfectly expressed by the music, which reveals the innate sense that Martinů had for creating a mood with only a few chords, even at the age of 22.
Giorgio Koukl, Martinů: Songs, Vol. 5 – Saltimbanques, Naxos 2018