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Baritone: D'une rose mourante L'ennui penche vers nous ; Tu n'es pas différente Dans ton silence doux De cette fleur mourante : Elle se meurt pour nous... Tu me semble pareille À celle dont l'oreille Était sur mes genoux, À celle dont l'oreille Ne m'écoutait jamais ! Tu me semble pareille À l'autre que j'aimais : mais de celle ancienne Sa bouche était la mienne. Soprano: Que me compares-tu quelque rose fanée ? L'amour n'a de vertu que fraîche et spontanée. Mon regard dans le tien Ne trouve que son bien Je m'y vois toute nue ! Mes yeux effaceront Tes larmes qui seront D'un souvenir venues. Si ton désir naquit qu'il meure sur ma couche Et sur mes lèvres qui t'emporteront la bouche.
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Ambroise-Paul-Touissaint-Jules Valéry (1871 - 1945), "Colloque (pour deux flûtes)", written 1920, appears in Mélange, first published 1939 [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 Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963), "Colloque", FP 108 (1940) [ vocal duet with piano ], note: this is Poulenc's only song for two voices [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "Colloquy for two flutes", 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: 27
Word count: 118
Baritone/Tenor: A dying rose's Ennui leans toward us; You're no different In your sweet silence Than this dying flower: It dies for us... You seem the same As the woman whose ear Rested on my knee, As the woman whose ear Never listened to me! You seem the same As the other woman I loved: But that ex-girlfriend Her lips were all mine. Soprano: Why do you compare me to some wilted rose? Love has no virtue unless it's fresh and spontaneous. I don’t like the way I appear in your eyes I see myself quite naked! My eyes will erase Your tears which have welled up From the advent of old memories. If your desire was born, let it die on my bed And on my lips which will carry away your mouth1.
1 translator's note: in the manner of the English phrase "sweep you off your feet"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2018 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 Ambroise-Paul-Touissaint-Jules Valéry (1871 - 1945), "Colloque (pour deux flûtes)", written 1920, appears in Mélange, first published 1939
This text was added to the website: 2018-07-13
Line count: 27
Word count: 136