Ni l'or ni la grandeur
Language: French (Français)  after the Latin
Available translation(s): ENG
Ni l'or ni la grandeur ne nous rendent heureux ;
Ces deux divinités n'accordent à nos voeux
Que des biens peu certains, qu'un plaisir peu tranquille :
Des soucis dévorants c'est l'éternal asile ;
[...
...
...]
Le sage y vit, en paix, errant parmi les bois ;
Il regard à ses pieds les favoris des Rois ;
Il lit au front de ceux qu'un vain luxe environne
Que la fortune vend ce qu'on croit qu'elle donne.
Approche-t-il du but, quitte-t-il ce séjour,
Rien ne trouble sa fin: c'est le soir d'un beau jour.
Note: this is an excerpt from the first stanza of a longer poem titled "Philémon et Baucis", lines 1-4 and 8-13.
Authorship:
Based on:
- a text in Latin by Ovid (43 BCE - 17/18 CE), appears in Metamorphoses [text unavailable]
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 or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Faith J. Cormier) , "Neither gold nor grandeur", copyright © 2000, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 13
Word count: 94
Neither gold nor grandeur
Language: English  after the French (Français)
Neither gold nor grandeur make us happy.
These two divinities only respond to our vows
with very uncertain treasures and uneasy pleasures.
This is the eternal refuge from devouring care.
[...
...
...]
The wise man lives there in peace, wandering through the forest.
He sees at his feet the favourites of kings.
He reads on the brows of those surrounded by vain luxury
that fortune sells that which we think she gives.
When he nears his goal and leaves this rest
nothing troubles his end. It is the evening of a fine day.
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2000 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.
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Based on:
Based on:
- a text in Latin by Ovid (43 BCE - 17/18 CE), appears in Metamorphoses [text unavailable]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 13
Word count: 94