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J'ai voulu tout aimer, et je suis malheureux, Car j'ai de mes tourments multiplié les causes ; D'innombrables liens frêles et douloureux Dans l'univers entier vont de mon âme aux choses. Tout m'attire à la fois et d'un attrait pareil : Le vrai par ses lueurs, l'inconnu par ses voiles ; Un trait d'or frémissant joint mon cœur au soleil, Et de longs fils soyeux l'unissent aux étoiles. La cadence m'enchaîne à l'air mélodieux, La douceur du velours aux roses que je touche ; D'un sourire j'ai fait la chaîne de mes yeux, Et j'ai fait d'un baiser la chaîne de ma bouche. Ma vie est suspendue à ces fragiles nœuds, Et je suis le captif des mille êtres que j'aime : Au moindre ébranlement qu'un souffle cause en eux Je sens un peu de moi s'arracher de moi-même.
Text Authorship:
- by René-François Sully-Prudhomme (1839 - 1907), "Les chaînes", written 1865-1866, appears in Stances et Poèmes, in 1. Stances, in La Vie intérieure, no. 2, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Lemerre, first published 1866 [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 Louis Vierne (1870 - 1937), "Les chaînes", op. 29 no. 1 (1912), published 1913 [ high voice and piano or orchestra ], from Stances d'amour et de rêve, no. 1, Éd. Durand et Cie [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Amy Pfrimmer) , "The chains", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2009-07-02
Line count: 16
Word count: 134
I wanted to love everything, and I am miserable, For my torments have multiple causes; Innumerable frail and painful links Within the entire universe they are connected to my soul. Everything attracts me at once and has the same attraction: The truth by its light, the unknown by its shadows; A trembling streak of gold joins my heart to the sun, And long silky threads tie it to the stars. The cadence enchaines me to the melodious tune, The softness of velvet to the roses that I touch; With a smile my eyes were fastened, And with a kiss I made the chain to my mouth. My life is suspended by these fragile knots, And I am the captive of the thousand beings I love: At the slightest trembling that a breath causes in them I feel a little bit of myself torn away.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2020 by Amy Pfrimmer, (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 René-François Sully-Prudhomme (1839 - 1907), "Les chaînes", written 1865-1866, appears in Stances et Poèmes, in 1. Stances, in La Vie intérieure, no. 2, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Lemerre, first published 1866
This text was added to the website: 2020-02-29
Line count: 16
Word count: 144