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Il est de doux adieux au seuil des portes Lèvres à lèvres pour une heure ou pour un jour; Le vent emporte le bruit des pas Qui s'éloignent de la demeure, Le vent rapporte le bruit des pas du bon retour; Les voici qui montent les marches De l'escalier de pierre blanche; Les voici qui s'approchent. Tu marches le long du corridor ou frôle Au mur de chaux le coude de ta manche Ou ton épaule; Et tu t'arrêtes, je te sens Derrière la porte fermée; Ton coeur bat vite et tu respires Et je t'entends Et j'ouvre vite à ton sourire La porte prompte, ô bien aimée! Il est de longs adieux au bord des mers Par de lourds soirs où l'on étouffe; Les phares tournent déjà dans le crépuscule; Les feux sont clairs. On souffre. La vague vient, déferle, écume et se recule Et bat la coque de bois et de fer. Et les mains sont lentes dans l'ombre, A se quitter et se reprennent. Le reflet rouge des lanternes Farde un présage en sang aux faces incertaines De ceux qui se disent adieu aux quais des mers Comme à la croix de carrefours Comme au tournant des routes qui fuient Sous le soleil ou sur la pluie Comme à l'angle des murs où l'on s'appuie, Ivre de tristesse et d'amour; En regardant ses mains pour longtemps désunies On pour toujours. Il est d'autres adieux encore Que l'on échange à voix plus basse Ou, face à face, anxieusement, Vie et Mort, Vous vous baisez Debout dans l'ombre bouche à bouche Comme pour mieux sceller encore Dans le temps et l'éternité Lèvre à lèvre et de souffle à souffle Votre double fraternité.
Authorship:
- by Henri Francois-Joseph de Régnier (1864 - 1936), "Adieux", appears in Les Médailles d'Argile, in 6. À travers l'an, no. 15, first published 1921 [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 Albert Roussel (1869 - 1937), "Adieux", op. 8 (Quatre poèmes) no. 1 (1907), published 1921, first performed 1908 [ high voice and piano or orchestra ], Éd. Rouart, Lerolle [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Joel Ayau) , "Farewells", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Geoffrey Wieting
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 44
Word count: 283
There are gentle farewells at the threshold of doors Lips upon lips for an hour or for a day; The wind brings the sound of steps Which move away from the residence, The wind brings back the sound of footsteps of the sweet return; Here they are, climbing the steps Of the stairway of white stone; Here they approach. You walk along the corridor or brush The elbow of your sleeve against the limestone wall Or your shoulder; And you stop, I sense you Behind the closed door; Your heart beats quickly and you breathe And I hear you And I open the swift door quickly to your smile, Oh beloved! There are long farewells on the shore of seas Amid heavy evenings where one suffocates; The lighthouses already turn in the dusk; The lights are bright. It is insufferable. The wave comes, breaks on the shore, foams and recedes And beats against the hull of wood and iron. And in the shadows, hands are slow To leave each other and clasp together again. The red reflection of the lanterns Makes an omen of blood on the uncertain faces Which say "farewell" on the banks of the seas Like at a crossroads Like at the bend of roads which flee In sunshine or through the rain Like at the corner of walls where one leans, Intoxicated from sadness and love; In gazing at one's hands, separated for a long time Or forever. There are still other farewells Which one exchanges in a low voice Or, face to face, anxiously, Life and Death, you kiss each other Standing in the shadow mouth to mouth As if to better secure For all time and eternity Lip upon lip and breath upon breath Your two-fold friendship.
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2008 by Joel Ayau, (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:
- a text in French (Français) by Henri Francois-Joseph de Régnier (1864 - 1936), "Adieux", appears in Les Médailles d'Argile, in 6. À travers l'an, no. 15, first published 1921
This text was added to the website: 2008-10-25
Line count: 44
Word count: 293