L'innocence
Language: French (Français)
Available translation(s): ENG
Fille du ciel, aimable innocence,
Si j'osais de quelques-uns de tes traits
essayer une faible peinture,
Je dirais que tu tiens lieu de vertu à l'enfance,
De sagesse au printemps de la vie,
De beauté à la vieillesse
et de bonheur à l'infortune ;
Qu'étrangère à nos erreurs,
tu ne verses que des larmes pures,
Et que ton sourire n'a rien que de céleste.
Belle innocence ! Mais quoi ! les dangers t'environnent,
L'envie t'adresse tous ses traits :
trembleras-tu, modeste innocence ?
Chercheras-tu à te dérober
aux périls qui te menacent ?
Non, je te vois debout, endormie,
la tête appuyée sur un autel.
Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (John Wagstaff) , "Innocence", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Guy Laffaille
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2009-07-01
Line count: 17
Word count: 105
Innocence
Language: English  after the French (Français)
Daughter of heaven, kind Innocence!
If I dared use some of your features
to attempt a weak portrait of you,
I would say that you substitute for virtue in childhood,
And for wisdom in the springtime of life;
For beauty in old age,
and for happiness in misfortune.
That, a stranger to our indiscretions,
you weep only pure tears,
And there is only divinity in your smile.
Beautiful Innocence! But wait! Dangers surround you;
Envy looks you full in the face.
Will you tremble, modest Innocence?
Will you seek to shy away
From the perils that threaten you?
No: I see you standing asleep,
your head resting upon an altar.
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2009 by John Wagstaff, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you may ask the copyright-holder(s) directly or ask us; we are authorized to grant permission on their behalf. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
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Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2009-09-22
Line count: 17
Word count: 110