by
Jean Richepin (1849 - 1926)
En ramant
Language: French (Français)
Sur la mer qui brame
Le bateau partit,
Tout seul, tout petit,
Sans voile, à la rame.
Si nous chavirons
Plus ne reviendrons
Sur les avirons
Tirons !
La mer est méchante ;
Mais l'homme joyeux
N'a pas froid aux yeux.
Elle gueule. Il chante.
Si nous chavirons,
Nous le sentirons
Sur les avirons
Tirons !
Sur la mer qui rage
Le bateau dansa.
Nous connaissons ça,
Et bren pour l'orage !
Point ne chavirons.
Nous en reviendrons.
Sur les avirons
Tirons !
Sur la mer qui roule
Et vomit l'embrun
Le ciel lourd et brun
En trombe s'écroule.
Si nous ne virons,
Nous y périrons.
Sur les avirons
Tirons !
Sur la mer qui brame
Il est revenu
Tout seul et tout nu
Le bateau sans rame.
Plus ne partirons,
Plus ne reviendrons.
Sous les goëmons
Dormons !
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
• A. Casella A. Casella sets stanzas 1-4, 7-10
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Alfredo Casella (1883 - 1947), "En ramant", op. 9 no. 3 (1905), stanzas 1-4,7-10 [ voice and piano ], from Trois Lyriques, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Florestan Duysburgh (1879 - 1964), "En ramant" [ medium voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Marie Jaëll (1846 - 1925), "En ramant", published 1893 [ voice and piano ], from La Mer, poème de Jean Richepin, no. 5, Paris, Éditions Paul Dupont [sung text not yet checked]
- by Klaus Miehling (b. 1963), "En ramant", op. 89 no. 4 (2002) [ voice and piano ], from Sechs Lieder nach Texten von Jean Richepin, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Peter Low) , "While rowing", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust
[Administrator] , Peter Low
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2008-07-13
Line count: 40
Word count: 132
While rowing
Language: English after the French (Français)
On the wailing sea
the boat sets off,
alone and very small,
with no sail, just with oars.
If we capsize,
we won't return.
Pull, let's pull on the oars!
The sea is wicked;
but the joyful man
is not chicken-hearted.
She yells. He sings.
If we capsize,
we will suffer.
Pull, let's pull on the oars!
On the raging sea
the boat dances.
We're familiar with that,
to hell with the storm!
We won't capsize.
We will survive.
Pull, let's pull on the oars!
On the sea that rolls
and vomits spray,
the heavy dark sky
descends in a waterspout.
If we don't change direction
we will perish.
Pull, let's pull on the oars!
On the wailing sea
the boat has returned,
a boat with no oars,
alone and empty.
We will never again
set out and come back.
Under the seaweed let us sleep!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2025 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 Jean Richepin (1849 - 1926), "En ramant", written 1886, appears in La Mer, in 5. Les gas, no. 2, Paris, Maurice Dreyfous, first published 1886
This text was added to the website: 2025-09-08
Line count: 35
Word count: 146
