La vie est vaine : Un peu d'amour, Un peu de haine... Et puis - bonjour ! La vie est brève : Un peu d'espoir, un peu de rêve... Et puis - bonsoir !
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Parnasse de la jeune Belgique, sous la direction littéraire de MM. Iwan Gilkin, Albert Giraud et Max Waller, Paris: Léon Vanier, 1887, page 223.
Text Authorship:
- by Léon Montenaeken (1859 - 1950), "Peu de chose", first published 1887 [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 Emile Desportes (1878 - 1944), "La Vie est vaine", published 1907 [ voice and piano ], Paris, B. Roudanez [sung text not yet checked]
- by Napoleon Lambelet (1864 - 1932), "La Vie", published 1897 [ voice and piano ], London, Francis, Day & Hunter [sung text not yet checked]
- by Pietro Lanciani (1857 - 1912), "Peu de chose", <<1890 [ voice and piano ], Paris, P. Schott & Cie. [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ethelbert Woodbridge Nevin (1862 - 1901), "La Vie", published 1894 [ voice and piano ], G. Schirmer, jr (The Boston Music Company) [sung text not yet checked]
- by Reid-Taylor , "La Vie est vaine", published 1931 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Maurice Senart [sung text not yet checked]
- by Teresa Clotilde del Riego (1876 - 1968), "La Vie est vaine", published 1902 [ voice and piano ], London, Chappell & Co Ltd [sung text not yet checked]
- by Ellen Riley (1859 - 1904), as Ellen Wright, "La vie est vaine" [ voice and piano ], New York : Boosey & Co, also set in English [sung text not yet checked]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in English, a translation by Edward Frederick Lockton (1876 - 1940) ; composed by Ellen Riley, as Ellen Wright.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Peter Low) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: François Le Roux [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2022-11-24
Line count: 8
Word count: 28
This life is weary, Hope cannot stay, A love, a sorrow, And so good day! This life is weary, A brief delight, A dream, a waking, And so good night!
Text Authorship:
- by Edward Frederick Lockton (1876 - 1940), as Edward Teschemacher [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Léon Montenaeken (1859 - 1950), "Peu de chose", first published 1887
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Ellen Riley (1859 - 1904), as Ellen Wright, "Life is vain", published 1902 [ voice and piano ], London : G. Ricordi & Co., also set in French (Français) [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this page: Joost van der Linden [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2025-09-10
Line count: 8
Word count: 30