Qui sait où s'enfuit

Qui sait où s'enfuit
Le sang de nos veines ?
Que de choses vaines 
Notre âme poursuit ! 

Lèvres de fleurs pleines, 
Qui sait, dans la nuit,
Où le vent conduit 
Vos chères haleines ?

Sait tout qui sait bien, 
Qu'il n'est de vrai bien,
Qu'au cœur où s'attache 

L'amoureux souci.
Aimons sans relâche ! 
Aimons sans merci !

Translation(s): ENG

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Authorship

• by Armand Silvestre (1837 - 1901), no title, appears in Les Amours, in Vers pour être chantés, in Philosophie, no. 6 [ author's text verified 1 time]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive)

• by Alexis de Castillon (1838 - 1873), "Sonnet mélancolique", op. 8 no. 3 (1871) [medium voice and piano or orchestra], from Six poésies d'Armand Silvestre, no. 3, Éd. Heugel [ sung text verified 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

• ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Melancholy sonnet", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Text added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.

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Melancholy sonnet

Who knows to where flows
The blood in our veins?
What vain things 
Does our soul pursue! 

Full lips of flowers;
Who knows, in the night,
Where the wind blows
Your dear breath?

One knows everything who knows
That there is no true good
Other than a heart that is full of 
Loving care.
Let's love without interruption! 
Let's love without mercy!

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Authorship

• Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2018 by Laura Prichard, (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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• a text in French (Français) by Armand Silvestre (1837 - 1901), no title, appears in Les Amours, in Vers pour être chantés, in Philosophie, no. 6
• This text was set to music by the following composer(s): Alexis de Castillon. Go to the text.

Text added to the website: 2018-01-08.
Last modified: 2018-01-08 12:07:16
Line count: 14
Word count: 62