by Jules de Lau-Lusignan (b. 1816)
Translation Singable translation by Samuel Byrne (flourished 1889)
Chanson arabe
Language: French (Français)
Voyageur, laisse le doux rêve Où tu vois passer les houris; Car déjà le simoun soulève Les sables à l'horizon gris. Fuyez les brûlantes haleines, Hâtez-vous, jeunes chameliers, Car Elim a douze fontaines Avec soixante-dix palmiers. Zorah, jadis, à la gazelle Avait, dit-on, volé ses yeux Et sa voix à la tourterelle, Bien longs étaient ses noirs cheveux. Chacun voulait porter ses chaînes, Mais nul ne savait la charmer. Elim a ses douze fontaines Avec soixante-dix palmiers. Pourtant de la terre étrangère Un beau cavalier vint un jour; De Zorah, jusqu'alors si fière, Le coeur tressaillit à son tour. La brise en soufflant sur les plaines, Le soir près d'eux vint murmurer: Elim a ses douze fontaines Avec soixante-dix palmiers.
Authorship:
- by Jules de Lau-Lusignan (b. 1816) [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 Paul-Jean-Jacques Lacôme d'Estalenx (1838 - 1920), "Chanson arabe" [ high voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ernest Tessier (1851 - 1909), as Ernest Lavigne, "Chanson arabe" [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English [singable] (Samuel Byrne) , "Arabian song"
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 120
Arabian song
Language: English  after the French (Français)
Trav'ler, cease your amorous dreams Of houris with their charming eyes; The simoon already is lifting Hot sand-clouds in the distance gray. Oh! fly the hot breath of the desert; Camel-drivers, hasten away; For Elim has a dozen fountains And full seventy lofty palms. Zorah, it was whisper'd, had stolen From the gazelle her lovely eyes, And her voice from the dove so gentle, Dark and long was her well-kept hair, Each one would like to be her slave, But no one there could capture her heart. For Elim has a dozen fountains And full seventy lofty palms. From a land that was very distant Came a knight, handsome, tall, one day; And her heart, hitherto so frigid, Quickly beat when she looked at him. The breeze o'er the plains gently blowing, At night in their ears softly said: For Elim has a dozen fountains And full seventy lofty palms.
From the Lavigne score.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Authorship:
- Singable translation by Samuel Byrne (flourished 1889), "Arabian song" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Jules de Lau-Lusignan (b. 1816)
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 150