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Quand ce beau Printemps je vois, J'aperçois Rajeunir la terre et l'onde [Et]1 me semble que le jour, Et l'Amour, [Comme enfants naissent]2 au monde. Le jour qui plus beau se fait, Nous refait Plus belle et verte la terre, Et Amour armé de traits Et d'attraits, [Dans]3 nos coeurs nous fait la guerre. Il répand de toutes parts Feux et dards Et dompte sous sa puissance Hommes, bestes et oiseaux, Et les eaux Lui [rendent]4 obeïssance. Vénus avec son enfant Triomphant, Au haut de son coche assise, Laisse ses cygnes voler Parmi l'air Pour aller voir son Anchise. Quelque part que ses beaux yeux Par les cieux Tournent leurs lumières belles, L'air qui se montre serein Est tout plein D'amoureuses étincelles. Puis en descendant à bas Sous ses pas Croissent mille fleurs écloses; Les beaux lis et les oeillets Vermeillets Y naissent entre les roses. Je sens en ce mois si beau Le flambeau D'Amour qui m'échauffe l'âme, Y voyant de tous côtés Les beautés Qu'il emprunte de ma Dame. Quand je vois tant de couleurs Et de fleurs Qui émaillent un rivage, Je pense voir le beau teint Qui est peint Si vermeil en son visage. Quand je vois les grand rameaux Des ormeaux Qui sont lacés de lierre, Je pense être pris és lacs De ses bras, Et que mon col elle serre. Quand j'entends la douce voix Par les bois Du gai rossignol qui chante, [D'elle]5 je pense jouir Et ouïr [Sa douce voix]6 qui m'enchante. Quand Zéphyre mène un bruit Qui se suit Au travers d'une ramée, Des propos il me souvient Que me tient La bouche de mon aimée. Quand je vois en quelque endroit Un pin droit, Ou quelque arbre qui s'élève, Je me laisse décevoir, Pensant voir Sa belle taille et sa grève. Quand je vois dans un jardin, Au matin, S'éclore une fleur nouvelle, J'accompare le bouton Au teton De son beau sein qui pommelle. Quand le Soleil tout riant D'Orient Nous montre sa blonde tresse, Il me semble que je voi Près de moi Lever ma belle maîtresse. Quand je sens parmi les prés Diaprés Les fleurs dont la terre est pleine, [Lors je]7 fais croire à mes sens Que je sens [La douceur de son]8 haleine. Bref, je fais comparaison, Par raison, Du printemps et de m'amie; Il donne aux fleurs la vigueur, Et mon coeur D'elle prend vigueur et vie. Je voudrais au bruit de l'eau D'un ruisseau, Déplier ses tresses blondes, Frisant en autant de noeuds Ses cheveux. Que je verrais friser d'ondes. Je voudrois, pour la tenir, Devenir Dieu de ces forêts désertes, La baisant autant de fois Qu'en un bois Il y a de feuilles vertes. [Hà !]9 maîtresse, mon souci, Viens ici, Viens contempler la verdure ! Les fleurs de mon amitié Ont pitié, [Et seule tu]10 n'en as cure. Au moins lève un peu tes yeux Gracieux, Et vois ces deux colombelles, Qui font naturellement, Doucement L'amour du bec et des ailes. Et nous, sous ombre d'honneur, Le bonheur Trahissons par une crainte: Les oiseaux sont plus heureux Amoureux, Qui font l'amour sans contrainte. Toutefois ne perdons pas Nos ébats Pour ces lois tant rigoureuses; Mais, si tu m'en crois, vivons, Et suivons Les colombes amoureuses. Pour effacer mon émoi, Baise-moi, [Rebaise-moi]11, ma Déesse! Ne laissons passer en vain Si soudain Les ans de notre [jeunesse.]12
G. Auric sets stanzas 1-3
R. Escher sets stanzas 1-3, 7-9, 13, 15, 17-23
L. Gouvy sets stanzas 1, 10, 15, 19, 23 (lines 3-4, 6)
R. Caby sets stanza 17
P. Eben sets stanzas 1-2, 7, 19
A. Dethou sets stanzas 19-20
L. Kreutzer sets stanzas 8, 14
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Gouvy: "Il"
2 Gouvy: "Naissent"
3 Eben, Escher: "En"
4 Auric: "jurent"
5 Gouvy: "De toi"
6 Gouvy: "Ta voix"
7 Gouvy: "Je"
8 Gouvy: "Ta douce"
9 Gouvy: "Ah !"
10 Gouvy: "Mais toi, tu"
11 Gouvy: "Aime-moi"
12 Gouvy: "jeunesse, aime-moi !"
Authorship:
- by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), "Chanson" [author's text checked 1 time 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 Georges Auric (1899 - 1983), "Quand ce beau Printemps je vois", alternate title: "Printemps", 1935, published 1935, stanzas 1-3 [ medium voice and piano ], note: composed for Édouard Bourdet's play Margot (1935) in which Yvonne Printemps played the role of Marguerite of Navarre; Paris, Durand [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Robert Caby (1905 - 1992), "Je voudrais au bruit de l'eau", 1955, stanza 17 [ mixed chorus or vocal quartet a cappella ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul Delmet (1862 - 1904), "Chanson de Ronsard", published [1898] [ medium voice and piano ], from Nouvelles Chansons, no. 15, Éd. Heugel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Amédée Dethou (1811 - 1877), "Ha ! Maîtresse", published [1859], stanzas 19-20 [ medium voice and piano ], from Douze mélodies sur des poësies de Victor Hugo et de Ronsard, Bertaut, Desportes et Passerat, Poëtes du XVIè siècle, no. 6, Paris, Imprimerie Bouchard [sung text not yet checked]
- by Petr Eben (1929 - 2007), "Quand ce beau printemps", stanzas 1-2,7,19 [ voice and guitar ], from Písně k loutně, no. 3, confirmed with a CD booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Rudolf Escher (1912 - 1980), "Chanson", 1957, stanzas 1-3,7-9,13,15,17-23, from Ciel, air et vents, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Louis Théodore Gouvy (1819 - 1898), "Chanson", op. 42 (Six Poésies de Ronsard) no. 6, published 1876, stanzas 1, 10, 15, 19, 23 (lines 3-4,6) [ voice and piano ], from 40 Poèmes de Ronsard, no. 15, Paris, Éd Simon Richault [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Léon Charles François Kreutzer (1817 - 1868), "Poésie de Ronsard", stanzas 8,14 [ voice and piano ], from 26 mélodies pour chant et piano, no. 4, Éd. Richault [sung text not yet checked]
- by Paul-Jean-Jacques Lacôme d'Estalenx (1838 - 1920), "Le printemps" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Gaston Marchet , "Chanson", published [1920] [ voice, piano, viola d'amore or violin ], from Deux mélodies, no. 2, Paris, Éd. Maurice Sénart & Cie. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Henri Rabaud (1873 - 1949), "Quand ce beau printemps je voy", published 1948 [ mezzo-soprano and piano ], Paris, Éd. 'Au Ménestrel' Heugel et Cie. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Guido Spinetti (flourished 1897), "Quand ce beau printemps je voy", published 1897 [ medium voice and piano ], from Treize poésies de Ronsard, mises en musique par Guido Spinetti, et ornées par Lucien Métivet de vignettes modernes dans le goût ancien, préface de Francisque Sarcey, no. 2, Paris, Éd. Flammarion [sung text not yet checked]
- by Julien Tiersot (1857 - 1936), "Quand ce beau printemps je vois", published 1924 [ medium voice and piano ], from Chansons de Ronsard, no. 7, Éd. 'Au Ménestrel' Heugel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Anselm Vinée (1847 - 1921), "Madrigal" [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), [adaptation] ; composed by Jules Massenet.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , "When I see the fair Springtime", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Jeroen Scholten , Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 138
Word count: 563
When I see the fair Springtime I recognise Earth and sea renewing their youth And it seems to me that Day And Love Like children are born into the world. Day which makes itself lovelier, Makes the earth again Lovelier and greener for us, And Love armed with charms And harms Makes war on us in our hearts. He looses in all directions His fiery darts And overcomes with his power Men, beasts and birds, And even the waters Give1 him obedience. Venus with her Triumphant son Sitting up high on her couch Sets her swans flying Through the air To go and see her Anchises2. Wherever her lovely eyes Around the heavens Turn their fair light, The air, remaining calm, Is filled With stars in love. Then coming down low Under her feet Grow a thousand flowers blooming; Fair lilies and bright red Carnations Flower there among roses. In this month so lovely, I feel The flame Of Love warming my soul, Seeing there on all sides The beauties Which it has borrowed from my Lady. When I see so many colours And flowers Studding a riverbank, I imagine I see the fair colour Which paints Her complexion so pink. When I see the great branches Of the elms Which are laced with ivy, I imagine being taken into the lakes Of her arms And her supporting my neck. When I hear the soft voice Of the happy nightingale Singing in the woods, I imagine enjoying her And hearing Her soft voice which enchants me. When the sound of Zephyr's breeze Follows him Across a branch, It reminds me of the promise Which the lips Of my love hold for me. When I see in some place A tall pine Or some other tree growing tall I allow myself to be deceived And imagine I see Her lovely shape and size. When I see in a garden In the morning A new flower opening, I compare its bud With the nipple Of her fair breast, swelling. When the sun, smiling In the east, Shows us his golden tresses, I imagine I see Next to me My fair mistress arising. When I spy the meadows Dotted With the flowers which fill the earth, Ah then I make my senses believe That I feel The softness of her breath. In short, I make the comparison, With good reason Of Springtime with my beloved; One gives the flowers their new strength, And my heart Takes from the other its strength and life. I'd like, to the sound of the water Of some stream To untie her blonde tresses Curling her hair into So many knots That I'd see waves curling. I'd like, so I could hold her, To become God of these empty forests, Kissing her as many times As there are Green leaves in a wood. Ah, my mistress, my desire, Come here Come and consider the greensward! The flowers take pity On my love And only you care not. At least lift your gracious eyes A little And see these two doves Who quite naturally And sweetly Make love with beak and wings. And we, under the cloud of honour Betray Our happiness through fear: The birds are luckier Lovers Who make love without constraint. Still, let us not give up Our frolics For these too restrictive laws; But if you trust me, let's live Let's copy The amorous doves. To sweep away my anguish Kiss me Kiss me again, my goddess! Don't let them go by empty And quickly, These years of our youth!
1 Auric: "Swear him obedience"
2 Jupiter made Venus fall in love with Anchises; their son was the Roman founder-figure Aeneas
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2012 by David Wyatt, (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 de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), "Chanson"
This text was added to the website: 2012-07-25
Line count: 138
Word count: 595