Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.
It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.
To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net
If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.
Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
The Promenade of the Two Lovers
Translations © by Laura Prichard
Song Cycle by Claude Achille Debussy (1862 - 1918)
View original-language texts alone: Le promenoir des deux amants
Auprès de cette grotte sombre
Où l'on respire un air si doux,
L'onde lutte avec les cailloux,
Et la lumière avecque l'ombre.
Ces flots lassés de l'exercice
Qu'ils ont fait dessus de gravier,
Se reposent dans ce vivier
Où mourut autrefois Narcisse.
...
L'ombre de cette fleur vermeille
Et celle de ces joncs pendants
Paraissent être là dedans
Les songes de l'eau qui sommeille.
Text Authorship:
- by Tristan L'Hermite François (1601 - 1655), "Le Promenoir des deux amants", written 1638, appears in Les Amours de Tristan, Chez Pierre Billaine, rue St Jacques à Paris, first published 1638
Go to the general single-text view
Close to this dark grotto
Where one breathes air so sweet,
The wave struggles with the stones
And the light with the shadow.
These waves, tired of the gymnastics
That they have performed over this gravel,
Come to rest at this bank
Where once upon a time Narcissus was transformed.
[ ... ]
The ghost of this vermillion flower
And that of these hanging rushes
Appear to be present in
The dreams of dozing water.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2016 by Laura Prichard, (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 Tristan L'Hermite François (1601 - 1655), "Le Promenoir des deux amants", written 1638, appears in Les Amours de Tristan, Chez Pierre Billaine, rue St Jacques à Paris, first published 1638
Go to the general single-text view
Translator's notes
Stanza 2, line 4, word 8 ("transformed"): literally, “died"
Stanza 4, line 1, word 2 ("ghost"): also, “shade, shadow"
This text was added to the website: 2016-01-01
Line count: 112
Word count: 72
... 14. Crois mon conseil, chère Climène ; Pour laisser arriver le soir, Je te prie, allons nous asseoir Sur le bord de cette fontaine. N'ouïs-tu pas soupirer Zéphire, De merveille et d'amour atteint, Voyant des roses sur ton teint, Qui ne sont pas de son empire ? Sa bouche, d'odeur toute pleine, A soufflé sur notre chemin, Mêlant un esprit de jasmin À l'ambre de ta douce haleine. ...
Text Authorship:
- by Tristan L'Hermite François (1601 - 1655), "Le Promenoir des deux amants", written 1638, appears in Les Amours de Tristan, Chez Pierre Billaine, rue St Jacques à Paris, first published 1638
Go to the general single-text view
[ ... ] [... ... ... ...] [... ... ... ...] [... ... ... ...] [ ... ]
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2016 by Laura Prichard, (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 Tristan L'Hermite François (1601 - 1655), "Le Promenoir des deux amants", written 1638, appears in Les Amours de Tristan, Chez Pierre Billaine, rue St Jacques à Paris, first published 1638
Go to the general single-text view
Translator's notes
Stanza 2, line 4, word 8 ("transformed"): literally, “died"
Stanza 4, line 1, word 2 ("ghost"): also, “shade, shadow"
This text was added to the website: 2016-01-01
Line count: 112
Word count: 72
... 22. Je tremble en voyant ton visage Flotter avecque mes désirs, Tant j'ai de peur que mes soupirs Ne lui fassent faire naufrage. De crainte de cette aventure, Ne commets pas si librement A cet infidèle Élément Tous les trésors de la Nature. Veux-tu par un doux privilège, Me mettre au-dessus des humains ? Fais-moi boire au creux de tes mains, Si l'eau n'en dissout point la neige. ...
Text Authorship:
- by Tristan L'Hermite François (1601 - 1655), "Le Promenoir des deux amants", written 1638, appears in Les Amours de Tristan, Chez Pierre Billaine, rue St Jacques à Paris, first published 1638
Go to the general single-text view
[ ... ] [... ... ... ...] [... ... ... ...] [... ... ... ...] [ ... ]
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2016 by Laura Prichard, (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 Tristan L'Hermite François (1601 - 1655), "Le Promenoir des deux amants", written 1638, appears in Les Amours de Tristan, Chez Pierre Billaine, rue St Jacques à Paris, first published 1638
Go to the general single-text view
Translator's notes
Stanza 2, line 4, word 8 ("transformed"): literally, “died"
Stanza 4, line 1, word 2 ("ghost"): also, “shade, shadow"
This text was added to the website: 2016-01-01
Line count: 112
Word count: 72