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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.

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by (Paul) Jules Barbier (1825 - 1901)
Translation © by David Seay

Aimons‑nous!
Language: French (Français)  after the English 
Our translations:  ENG
Au fleuve le ruisseau se mêle,
Et le fleuve à la mer
Au vent la brise unit son aîle,
Se confond dans l'air!

Femme, c'est la loi supreême!
Ange, c'est la douce loi!
Tout vent s'unir à ce qu'il aime!
M'aimes-tu, dis-moi?

Vois les cieux dorer les cîmes!
Vois s'unir les flots heureux!
Vois se pencher sur les abîmes
ces lierres amoureux!

Le soleil étreint la terre!
L'oiseau chante et pleure, hélas!
Pourquoi ce divin mystère
Si tu n'aimes pas!

Comme ces rayons de flamme,
Et ces flots, et ces zéphirs,
Mon âme cherche dans ton âme
L'écho de ses soupirs!

Comme ces oiseaux fidèles,
Dans le nid de leurs amours,
Blottis et pliant leurs ailes,
Aimons nous toujours!

Text Authorship:

  • by (Paul) Jules Barbier (1825 - 1901) [an adaptation] [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Based on:

  • a text in English by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 - 1822), "Love's philosophy"
    • Go to the text page.

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

  • by Charles Gounod (1818 - 1893), "Aimons-nous!", CG 449 (1871), published 1871 [ voice and piano ], also set in English [sung text checked 1 time]

Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:

  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Ida Goldschmidt, née Livingston (1863 - 1933) ; composed by Roger Quilter.
      • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
  • Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist ; composed by George John Bennett.
      • Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
  • Also set in Russian (Русский), a translation by Konstantin Dmitrevich Bal'mont (1867 - 1942) , "Философия любви" ; composed by Aleksandra Vasilyevna Zheleznova.
      • Go to the text.

Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English (David Seay) , "Let us love", copyright © 2018, (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: 24
Word count: 119

Let us love
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
Streams merge into the river,
And rivers into the sea.
The breeze unites with the wind, his senior,
They blend in the air!

Mademoiselle, this is the law supreme!
Dear Angel, this is the sweet law!
Winds unite with what they love!
Do you love me? Tell me.

See the heavens adorn the mountains!
See the blissful waves embrace each other!
See, entwined on the ledge,
the ivy of lovers!

The sun hugs the earth!
The bird sings and weeps, alas!
To what end is this divine mystery
If you too do not love!

Like the flaming rays of sunlight,
And the waves, and zéphyros winds,
My soul seeks in your soul
The echo of his sighs!

Like these faithful birds
In the nest of their love,
Huddled and clasped in their wings,
Let us love forever!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2018 by David Seay, (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) Jules Barbier (1825 - 1901) [an adaptation]
    • Go to the text page.

Based on:

  • a text in English by Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792 - 1822), "Love's philosophy"
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2018-02-09
Line count: 24
Word count: 137

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This website began in 1995 as a personal project by Emily Ezust, who has been working on it full-time without a salary since 2008. Our research has never had any government or institutional funding, so if you found the information here useful, please consider making a donation. Your help is greatly appreciated!
–Emily Ezust, Founder

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