Una ruïna de closca buida

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by Eugène Émile Paul Grindel (1895 - 1952), as Paul Éluard

Translation © by Salvador Pila

Une ruine coquille vide

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: CAT ENG

Une ruine coquille vide
Pleure dans son tablier
Les enfants qui jouent autour d'elle
Font moins de bruit que des mouches

La ruine s'en va à tâtons
Chercher ses vaches dans un pré
J'ai vu le jour je vois cela
Sans en avoir honte

Il est minuit comme une flèche
Dans un coeur à la portée
Des folâtres lueurs nocturnes
Qui contredisent le sommeil.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Paul Éluard, Œuvres complètes, Vol. 1, Paris: Gallimard, 1968, Page 495.

Text Authorship:

by Eugène Émile Paul Grindel (1895 - 1952), as Paul Éluard, "Je croyais le repos possible" [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 Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963), "Une ruine coquille vide", FP 86 no. 2 (1936), published 1937 [ high voice and piano ], from Tel jour Telle nuit, no. 2, Éd. Durand [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Grant Hicks) , copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Grant Hicks [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 64

Una ruïna de closca buida

Language: Catalan (Català) after the French (Français)

Una ruïna de closca buida
Plora en el seu davantal
Els nens que juguen al seu voltant
Fan menys soroll que les mosques

La ruïna se’n va a les palpentes
A cercar les seves vaques en un prat
Vaig néixer veig això
Sense sentir-me avergonyit

És mitjanit com una fletxa
En un cor a l'abast
De enjogassades lluors nocturnes
Que contradiuen el son.

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of titles:
"Je croyais le repos possible" = "Jo creia el repòs possible"
"Une ruine coquille vide" = "Una ruïna de closca buida"

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2026 by Salvador Pila, (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 Eugène Émile Paul Grindel (1895 - 1952), as Paul Éluard, "Je croyais le repos possible"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-05-30
Line count: 12
Word count: 63