From beneath your long tresses, little fairies

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by Ioannes Papadiamantopoulos (1856 - 1910), as Jean Moréas

Translation © by Laura Stanfield Prichard

Sous vos longues chevelures, petites...

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Sous vos longues chevelures, petites fées,
Vous chantâtes sur mon sommeil bien doucement,
Sous vos longues chevelures, petites fées,
Dans la forêt du charme et de l'enchantement.

Dans la forêt du charme et des merveilleux rites,
Gnômes compatissants, pendant que je dormais,
De votre main, honnêtes gnômes, vous m'offrîtes,
Un sceptre d'or, hélas ! pendant que je dormais.

J'ai su depuis ce temps, que c'est mirage et leurre
Les sceptres d'or et les chansons dans la forêt ;
Pourtant, comme un enfant crédule, je les pleure, 
Et je voudrais dormir encore dans la forêt.

Qu'importe si je sais que c'est mirage et leurre !

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• E. Chausson

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Text Authorship:

by Ioannes Papadiamantopoulos (1856 - 1910), as Jean Moréas, no title, appears in Les cantilènes, in 1. Funérailles, no. 9, Paris, Éd. Léon Vanier, first published 1886 [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]

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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: 104

From beneath your long tresses, little...

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Language: English after the French (Français)

From beneath your long tresses, little fairies,
You sang me to sleep very gently,
From beneath your long tresses, little fairies
In the forest of charm and enchantment.

In the forest of charm and marvelous rites,
Compassionate gnomes, while I slept,
From your hands, honest gnomes, you offered me,
A scepter of gold, but Alas ! while I was sleeping.

I’ve learned since that time, that they're only mirages and illusions.
The scepters of gold and the songs in the forest;
Nevertheless, like a credulous infant, I weep for their memory, 
And I’d like to sleep once again in the forest.

What does it matter if I know it’s only mirage and deception !

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Translations of titles
"Dans la forêt du charme et de l'enchantement" = "In the forest of charm and enchantment"
"La forêt charmée" = "In the enchanted forest"
"Petites fées, honnêtes gnômes" = "Little fairies, honest gnomes"

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2024 by Laura Stanfield 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.
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Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Ioannes Papadiamantopoulos (1856 - 1910), as Jean Moréas, no title, appears in Les cantilènes, in 1. Funérailles, no. 9, Paris, Éd. Léon Vanier, first published 1886
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This text was added to the website: 2024-04-22
Line count: 13
Word count: 115