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.
If you wish to reprint translations, please use the Reprint Basket (upper right hand corner).
Reminder: You must always use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.
Je n'ai plus que les os, un squelette je semble, décharné, dénervé, démusclé, dépoulpé, que le trait de la mort sans pardon a frappé. Je n'ose voir mes bras que de peur je ne tremble. Apollon et son fils, deux grands maîtres, ensemble ne me sauraient guérir; leur métier m'a trompé. Adieu plaisant soleil; mon oeil est étoupé, mon corps s'en va descendre où tout se désassemble. Quel ami me voyant en ce point dépouillé ne remporte au logis un oeil triste et mouillé, me consolant au lit et me baisant la face, en essuyant mes yeux par la mort endormis? Adieu, chers compagnons, adieu mes chers amis, je m'en vais le premier vous préparer la place.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), appears in Pièces posthumes, Les derniers vers [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 Fernando Lopes-Graça (1906 - 1994), "Je n'ay plus que les os", 1965 [ baritone and piano ], from Quatre Sonnets de Ronsard (sur sa fin) pour baryton et piano, no. 1 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963), "Je n'ai plus que les os", FP 38 no. 4 (1925), published 1925 [ high voice and piano or orchestra ], from Poèmes de Ronsard, no. 4, Éd. Heugel [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Peter Low) , "All I have now is bones", copyright © 2000, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Ingrid Schmithüsen) , "Ich bin nur noch Knochen", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Bin nur noch Knochen", copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 117
Bin nur noch Knochen - ein Skelett am Leben, Fleisch, Nerv, die Kraft, das Mark ward mir genommen beim Schlag, den ich vom Tod erbarmungslos bekommen. Wag meine Arme nicht mehr anzuschaun, ohne zu beben. Apollon und sein Sohn Asklep, der Heiler größten, könnten nicht heilen mich; Heilkunst hat mich betrogen. Mein Auge blind, die heitre Sonn’ ward mir entzogen, mein Leib begraben bald, verwesend zum Verwesten. Welch Freund, der mich erblickt in dieser Zeit der Zähren würd nicht verweinten Augs traurig nach Hause kehren, käm nicht, mich tröstend, streichelnd, an mein Bett herbei, wischt mir die Tränen von den Wangen, den verzehrten? Lebt wohl, ihr meine lieben Freund’ und Weggefährten! Ich fahr zuerst dahin, halt einen Platz euch frei.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2017 by Bertram Kottmann, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Bertram Kottmann. Contact: BKottmann (AT) t-online.de
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), appears in Pièces posthumes, Les derniers vers
This text was added to the website: 2017-06-24
Line count: 14
Word count: 119