Good night | The earth sleeps under a pure sky

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by Camille Distel

Translation © by Faith J. Cormier

Bonne nuit!

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

La terre dort au ciel pur,
Les étoiles dans l'azur
Descendent veiller sur elle;
Sur la terre un jardin fleurit,
Mais les fleurs ont plié l'aile.
Bonne nuit!

Un petit toit monte seul
Au jardin sous le tilleul:
Il porte une humble tourelle;
Un oiseaulet dans son nid
Gazouille et fait sentinelle.
Bonne nuit!

Dans la tourelle une enfant
S'est endormie en rêvant
À la fleur fraiche comme elle;
Le ciel la garde et reluit
En son âme jeune et belle,
Bonne nuit!

Text Authorship:

by Camille Distel [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

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

by Jules Massenet (1842 - 1912), "Bonne nuit!", op. 2 no. 2a (1868), published 1872, from Trois mélodies, deux duos & un trio, no. 1 [sung text checked 1 time]

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

ENG English (Faith J. Cormier) , "Good night", copyright © 2003, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2003-10-12
Line count: 18
Word count: 83

Good night

Language: English after the French (Français)

The earth sleeps under a pure sky
and the stars come down from the blue
to watch over her.
A garden is flowering,
but the blossoms have folded their wings.
Good night!

There is a little roof alone
in the garden under the linden tree,
supporting a humble little tower.
A tiny bird in its nest
cheeps and keeps vigil.
Good night!

A child sleeps in the tower,
dreaming of flowers 
as fresh as she is.
Heaven guards her and shines
through her lovely young soul.
Good night!

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2003 by Faith J. Cormier, (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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Camille Distel
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2003-10-12
Line count: 18
Word count: 88