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by Jean Richepin (1849 - 1926)

Sombres plaisirs
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG ITA
Il serait plus viril et plus noble sans doute
De croiser sur son coeur ses bras las et meurtris,
Et de ne point pousser de lamentables cris
Comme un enfant perdu la nuit sur la grand' route.

Il faudrait, ainsi qu'un cadavre qui dégoûte,
Enfouir son amour, en brûler les débris,
Et chanter au besoin, et crier qu'on est gris,

Et boire en souriant ses larmes goutte à goutte.
Mais on est solagé par les pleurs, les sanglots,
La rage folle. Ainsi vos mères, matelots,
Quand vous êtes noyès par la houle inhumaine,

Arrachent des galets au bord du gouffre amer,
Et, les jetant aux flots avec des cris de haine,
Apaisent leur douleur en outrageant la mer.

Text Authorship:

  • by Jean Richepin (1849 - 1926), "Sombres plaisirs", appears in Les Caresses, in 4. Nivôse, no. 22, Paris, Éd. M. Dreyfous, first published 1882 [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 Louis Vierne (1870 - 1937), "Sombres plaisirs", op. 48, Heft 4 (Nivôse) no. 4 (1924), published 1927 [high voice and piano], from Le poème de l'amour, no. 15, Éd. Henry Lemoine [
     text verified 1 time
    ]

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

  • ENG English (Corinne Orde) , title 1: "Somber pleasures", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Francesco Campanella) , title 1: "Oscuri piaceri", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Corinne Orde

This text was added to the website: 2007-11-23
Line count: 14
Word count: 118

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