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Le vent d'automne passe, Emportant à la fois Les oiseaux dans l'espace, Les feuilles dans les bois. Jours tièdes, brises molles, Pour longtemps sont chassés Valsez comme des folles, Pauvres feuilles, valsez. Sur les marges des routes, Au midi comme au nord, Voyez-les valser toutes Cette valse de mort. Le vent qui les invite Jamais n'en trouve assez: Tournez, tournez plus vite, Pauvres feuilles, valsez. Oui, toute feuille tombe, Ormeau, chêne ou tilleul; Tout homme est à la tombe, L'enfant come l'aïeul. Les rêves de ce monde Sont bientôt effacés: Poursuivez votre ronde, Pauvres feuilles, valsez.
Text Authorship:
- by Paul Juillerat (1818 - 1897), "La Valse des feuilles", written 1825-40 [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 Abadie (1814 - 1859), "La Valse des feuilles", subtitle: "Méditation", published 18--? [ voice and piano ], Paris : Heugel [sung text not yet checked]
- by Joseph Bovet (1879 - 1951), "La Valse des feuilles", published 1958 [ four-part men's chorus a cappella ], Lausanne : Foetisch [sung text not yet checked]
- by Émile Durand (1830 - 1903), "La Valse des feuilles", published 1877 [ voice and piano ], Paris : Choudens père & fils [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jean-Baptiste Faure (1830 - 1914), "La Valse des feuilles", published 1873? [ high voice and piano ], from Deuxième recueil de vingt mélodies, chant et piano, par J. Faure, no. 3, Édition Heugel 'Au Ménestrel' [sung text not yet checked]
- by Johan Selmer (1844 - 1910), "La Valse des feuilles", op. 61 no. 2 [ vocal trio of female voices or women's chorus with piano ], from Herbstblätter, no. 2, Kristiania, Norsk Musik Forlag ; and Leipzig and København : Wilhelm Hansen, also set in German (Deutsch) [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in German (Deutsch), a translation by Wilhelm Henzen (1850 - 1910) ; composed by Johan Selmer.
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
- Go to the text. [Note: the text is not in the database yet.]
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Peter Low) , "The Waltz of the Leaves", copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Theodor Renaud) , "Der Tanz der Blätter", Strassburg : J. H. Ed. Heitz (Heitz & Mündel), first published 1886
Researcher for this page: Sharon Krebs [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2011-05-14
Line count: 24
Word count: 96
The autumn wind as it passes carries off the birds in the air and the leaves in the woods. Warm days and soft breezes are now banished for a long time. Waltz like madwomen, poor leaves, waltz! On the edge of the roads in the south as in the north, look, they're all dancing this waltz of death. The wind that invites them never finds enough of them. Whirl, whirl faster, poor leaves, waltz! Yes, every leaf falls, elm, oak or linden; every man heads for the tomb, the child like the grandparent. The dreams of this world are soon effaced. Carry on with your dance, poor leaves, waltz!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2022 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 Juillerat (1818 - 1897), "La Valse des feuilles", written 1825-40
This text was added to the website: 2022-10-31
Line count: 24
Word count: 109