The Gifts of the Gods
Language: English
Available translation(s): FRE
Once with life and love enarmoured
We besought the gods above;
"Send us love and life!" we clamoured,
And they sent us life and love.
Soon they over-filled the measure;
Soon we prayed them, "Grant us calm!"
But they answered, "Pain is pleasure!1
"Crush from bitter herbs the balm!
"Forms of beauty [ye]2 may fashion
"From the anguish of the heart;
"Only by the cross of passion
"Can ye win the crown of Art."
View original text (without footnotes)
1 Albéniz has an end-quote here.
2 Albéniz: "we"
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, and transliterations (if applicable):
- FRE French (Français) (Jean-Pierre Granger) , title 1: "Les cadeaux des dieux", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Jean-Pierre Granger
This text was added to the website: 2009-11-19
Line count: 12
Word count: 74
Les cadeaux des dieux
Language: French (Français)  after the English
Séduits par la vie et l'amour
Nous suppliâmes les dieux du ciel ;
» Donnez-nous l'amour et la vie « avons-nous réclamé
Et ils nous envoyèrent la vie et l'amour.
Mais, bien vite, la mesure déborda
Et, bien vite, nous leur priâmes : » Accordez-nous la paix «
Mais ils répondirent : » La douleur est plaisir ! «
Et fut préparé en baume, les herbes amères !
Nous façonnons bien des modèles de beauté
Issus des angoisses du cœur ;
Seulement par la croix de la passion,
Pouvons-nous mériter la couronne de l'Art
Authorship:
Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2009-11-19
Line count: 12
Word count: 94