▁art ▁my ▁first - born ▁.... ▁Un stable ▁as ▁water , ▁thou ▁shall ▁never ▁excel .... " ▁( Gen esis ▁ 4 9 : 3 - 4 ). ▁ ▁Ada pt ations ▁of ▁and ▁references ▁to ▁the ▁poem ▁ ▁Ki pling ' s ▁poem , ▁in ▁translation , ▁was ▁set ▁to ▁music ▁by ▁Ed vard ▁Gr ieg ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁( EG ▁ 1 5 6 , ▁Gent le men - Men ige .) ▁However , ▁after ▁he ▁had ▁completed ▁it , ▁he ▁received ▁a ▁copy ▁of ▁the ▁English ▁original ▁and ▁was ▁so ▁dis may ed ▁by ▁the ▁om ission ▁of ▁important ▁pass ages ▁that ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁publish ▁it ; ▁it ▁was ▁published ▁post hum ously ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 1 . ▁ ▁The ▁poem ▁was ▁set ▁to ▁music ▁and ▁s ung ▁at ▁Harvard ▁and ▁Y ale ▁Univers ities ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 0 0 s . ▁It ▁became ▁associated ▁with ▁one ▁colleg iate ▁a ▁c app ella ▁group ▁in ▁particular , ▁The ▁Wh iff en po of s ▁of ▁Y ale . ▁Their ▁historian ▁states ▁that ▁the ▁song ▁was ▁known ▁" as ▁far ▁back ▁as ▁ 1 9 0 2 " ▁and ▁was ▁popular ▁by ▁▁ 1 9 0 7 – 1 9 0 9 . ▁The ▁words ▁were ▁fam ously ▁adapted ▁by ▁Me ade ▁Minn iger ode ▁and ▁George ▁Pom ero y ▁to ▁become ▁" The ▁Wh iff en po of ▁Song ". ▁ ▁In ▁turn , ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁covered ▁by ▁many ▁sing