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Connaissez-vous la blanche tombe, Où flotte avec un son plaintif L'ombre d'un if ? Sur l'if une pâle colombe, Triste et seule au soleil couchant, Chante son chant : Un air maladivement tendre, À la fois charmant et fatal, Qui vous fait mal, Et qu'on voudrait toujours entendre ; Un air, comme en soupire aux cieux L'ange amoureux. On dirait que l'âme éveillée Pleure sous terre à l'unisson De la chanson, Et du malheur d'être oubliée Se plaint dans un roucoulement Bien doucement. Sur les ailes de la musique On sent lentement revenir Un souvenir; Une [ombre de forme]1 angélique, Passe dans un rayon tremblant, En voile blanc. Les belles-de-nuit demi-closes, Jettent leur parfum faible et doux Autour de vous, Et le fantôme aux molles poses Murmure en vous tendant les bras: « Tu reviendras ? » Oh! jamais plus, près de la tombe, Je n'irai, quand descend le soir Au manteau noir, Écouter la pâle colombe Chanter sur la [branche]2 de l'if Son chant plaintif !
H. Duparc sets stanzas 1, 3, 6
P. Hersant sets stanza 4
E. de Polignac sets stanzas 1-5
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Théophile Gauthier, La comédie de la mort, Desessart editeur, Paris, 1838, page 305.
1 Berlioz: "ombre, une forme"2 Duparc, Berlioz: "pointe"
Authorship:
- by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872), "Lamento", appears in La Comédie de la Mort, first published 1838 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Hector Berlioz (1803 - 1869), "Au cimetière", op. 7 no. 5 (1840) [ voice and orchestra ], from Les Nuits d'Été, no. 5, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Allyre Bureau (1810 - 1859), "La blanche tombe", 1837-8, published 1840 [ voice and English horn or cello ], from Deux mélodies pour chant et piano (poésies de Gautier), no. 1, Paris, chez Ad. Catelin & Cie. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henri Duparc (1848 - 1933), "Lamento", 1883, published 1895, stanzas 1,3,6 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Rouart, Lerolle & Cie (Salabert) [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Philippe Hersant (b. 1948), "Lamento", 1998, stanza 4 [ duet for mezzo-soprano and baritone with piano ], Paris, Durand [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Émile Paladilhe (1844 - 1926), "La colombe - Lamento", published 1906 [ high voice and piano ], from Feuilles au vent - 1ère série, no. 4, Paris, Heugel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Edmond de Polignac, prince (1834 - 1901), "Lamento", stanzas 1-5 [ voice and piano or orchestra ], Édition G. Hartmann [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Peter Cornelius (1824 - 1874) , "Auf dem Friedhofe" ; composed by Hector Berlioz.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Marike Lindhout) , "Lamento", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Lament", copyright ©
- ENG English (Kyle Gee) , "Lament", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Alberto Bonati) , copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2003-10-20
Line count: 36
Word count: 167
Coneixeu la blanca tomba on amb un so planyívol hi fluctua l’ombra d’un teix? Damunt del teix, una pàl·lida coloma, trista i sola al sol ponent canta el seu cant. Un aire malaltís i tendre, encisador i fatal a la vegada, que us fa mal, i que hom voldria sentir sempre; un aire, com el que sospira al cel l’àngel amorós. Semblaria que l’ànima desvetllada plora sota terra a l’uníson de la cançó, i de la dissort de ser oblidada es plany amb un parrupeig ben dolçament. Damunt les ales de la música se sent retornar lentament un record; una ombra de forma angèlica, passa en un raig tremolós portant un vel blanc. Les flors de nit mig closes, deixen anar el seu perfum feble i dolç al vostre entorn, i el fantasma de posat mollenc mormola amb els braços oberts: “Tornaràs?” Oh! Mai més, prop de la tomba aniré quan es fa fosc amb un mantell negre, per escoltar la pàl·lida coloma cantar a la branca del teix el seu cant planyívol!
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of title(s):
"Au cimetière" = "Al cementiri"
"La blanche tombe" = "La blanca coloma"
"La colombe - Lamento" = "La coloma - Lament"
"Lamento" = "Lament"
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2022 by Salvador Pila, (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 Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872), "Lamento", appears in La Comédie de la Mort, first published 1838
This text was added to the website: 2022-01-02
Line count: 36
Word count: 173