I will remember what I was, I am sick of rope and chain -- I will remember my old strength and all my forest affairs. I will not sell my back to man for a bundle of sugar-cane: I will go out to my own kind, and the wood-folk in their lairs. I will go out until the day, until the morning break -- Out to the wind's untainted kiss, the water's clean caress; I will forget my ankle-ring and snap my picket stake. I will revisit my lost loves, and playmates masterless!
About the headline (FAQ)
Text Authorship:
- by Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936), appears in The Jungle Book, in Toomai of the Elephants, first published 1894 [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):
- [ None yet in the database ]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), a translation by Louis Fabulet (1862 - 1933) , no title, appears in Le Livre de la Jungle (The Jungle Book) and by Robert, vicomte d'Humières (1868 - 1915) , no title, appears in Le Livre de la Jungle (The Jungle Book) ; composed by Charles Koechlin.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2010-02-13
Line count: 8
Word count: 91
Je me souviens de qui je fus. [J’ai brisé corde et chaîne.]1 Je me souviens de ma forêt et de ma vigeur ancienne.2 Je ne veux plus vendre mon dos pour une botte de roseaux, Je veux retourner à mes pairs, aux gîtes verts des taillis clos : Je veux m'en aller jusqu'au jour, partir dans le matin nouveau. Parmi le pur baiser des vents, la claire caresse de l'eau :3 J'oublierai l'anneau de mon pied, l'entrave qui veut me soumettre. Je veux revoir mes vieux amours, les jeux de mes frères sans maître.
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)Confirmed with Rudyard Kipling. Le Livre de la Jungle. Traduction de Louis Fabulet et Robert d'Humières, Paris, Société du Mercure de France, 1910.
1 omitted by Koechlin2 Koechlin adds "J'ai brisé la corde et la chaîne,"
3 Koechlin adds "Je veux m'en aller jusqu'au jour ! Je veux retourner à mes pairs,/ Aux gîtes verts des taillis clos,"
Text Authorship:
- by Louis Fabulet (1862 - 1933), no title, appears in Le Livre de la Jungle (The Jungle Book) [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
- by Robert, vicomte d'Humières (1868 - 1915), no title, appears in Le Livre de la Jungle (The Jungle Book) [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Based on:
- a text in English by Rudyard Kipling (1865 - 1936), appears in The Jungle Book, in Toomai of the Elephants, first published 1894
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Charles Koechlin (1867 - 1950), "Chant de Kala Nag", op. 18 no. 3 (1899-1901) [ tenor, men's chorus, piano or orchestra ], from Trois Poèmes du Livre de la Jungle, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2003-11-11
Line count: 8
Word count: 95