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Bon chevalier masqué qui chevauche en silence, Le Malheur a percé mon vieux cœur de sa lance. Le sang de mon vieux cœur n'a fait qu'un jet vermeil, Puis s'est évaporé sur les fleurs, au soleil. L'ombre éteignit mes yeux, un cri vint à ma bouche Et mon vieux cœur est mort dans un frisson farouche. Alors le chevalier Malheur s'est [rapproché]1, Il a mis pied à terre et sa main m'a touché. Son doigt ganté de fer entra dans ma blessure Tandis qu'il attestait sa loi d'une voix dure. Et voici qu'au contact glacé du doigt de fer Un cœur me renaissait, tout un cœur pur et fier Et voici que, fervent d'une candeur divine, Tout un cœur jeune et bon battit dans ma poitrine ! Or, je restais tremblant, ivre, incrédule un peu, Comme un homme qui voit des visions de Dieu. Mais le bon chevalier, remonté sur sa bête, En s'éloignant, me fit un signe de la tête Et me cria (j'entends encore cette voix) : « Au moins, prudence ! Car c'est bon pour une fois. »
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Chausson: "approché"
Text Authorship:
- by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), no title, appears in Sagesse, in Sagesse I, no. 1, first published 1880 [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 Ernest Amédée Chausson (1855 - 1899), "Le Chevalier Malheur", op. 34 no. 2 (1898), published 1898, first performed 1900 [ voice and piano ], from Deux Poèmes de Verlaine, no. 2, Paris, Rouart Lerolle [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Pierre Hermant (1869 - 1928), "Bon chevalier masqué qui chevauche en silence", published 1904 [ voice and orchestra or piano ], from Sagesse, no. 1, Paris, Énoch [sung text not yet checked]
- by Georges (Jerzy) Nawrocki , "Bon chevalier masqué qui chevauche en silence", <<1971 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Peter Low) , "A good masked Horseman", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Stefan George) , no title, appears in Zeitgenössische Dichter, in Frankreich, in Paul Verlaine, in Aus: Weisheit, no. 1
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 180
A good masked Horseman who rides in silence, Misfortune has pierced my old heart with his lance. My old heart’s blood made only one red spurt and then dried out on the flowers, in the sun. The shadow blinded my eyes, a cry rose in my mouth, and my old heart died in a cruel shudder. That’s when the Horseman Misfortune approached and dismounted and touched me with his hand. His iron-gloved hand entered my wound while his harsh voice was expounding his law. And now on the icy contact of his iron finger a heart was being reborn in me, pure and proud, yes now, divinely candid and fervent, a good young heart started beating in my chest! There I was trembling, drunken, a little incredulous like a man seeing visions of God. But the good Horseman, back on his mount, as he rode off nodded his head at me and shouted (I hear that voice still): "Be prudent, though! It's good for only one time."
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2017 by Peter Low, (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 Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), no title, appears in Sagesse, in Sagesse I, no. 1, first published 1880
This text was added to the website: 2017-06-02
Line count: 20
Word count: 167