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Belle qui tiens ma vie Captiue dans tes yeulx, Qui m'a l'ame rauie D'un soubz-ris gracieux, Viens tost me secourir Ou me fauldra mourir. Pourquoy fuis tu mignarde Si ie suis pres de toy, Quand tes yeulx ie regarde Ie me perd dedans moy Car tes perfections Changent mes actions. Tes beautéz & ta grace Et tes diuins propos. Ont eschauffé la glace Qui me geloit les os, Et ont remply mon cœur D'une amoureuse ardeur. Mon ame souloit estre Libre de passions, Mais amour s'est faict maistre De mes affections, Et à mis soubs sa loy Et mon cœur & ma foy. Approche donc ma belle Approche toy mon bien, Ne me sois plus rebelle Puis que mon cœur est tien, Pour mon mal appaiser, Donne moy un baiser. Ie meurs mon Angelette Ie meurs en te baisant, Ta bouche tant doucette Va mon bien rauissant À ce coup mes espritz Sont tous d'amour espris. Plustost on verra l'Onde Contre mont reculer Et plustost l'œil du monde Cessera de brusler, Que l'amour qui m'époinct Decroisse d'un seul poinct.
About the headline (FAQ)
Note: see also Peter Cornelius's piece Blaue Augen, which adapts Arbeau's melody to a German text that is not a direct translation of this text but shares the mention of blue eyes. Reger's "Altfranzösisches Tanzlied" is also based on Arbeau's melody (unattributed) and uses this same text by Cornelius (also unattributed). Warlock also uses Arbeau's melody in his Capriol Suite, in the "Pavane", without words.
Modernized form:
Belle qui tiens ma vie Captive dans tes yeux, Qui m'as l’âme ravie D'un sourire gracieux, Viens tôt me secourir Ou me faudra mourir. Pourquoi fuis-tu mignarde Si je suis près de toi, Quand tes yeux je regarde Je me perds dedans moi, Car tes perfections Changent mes actions. Tes beautés et ta grâce Et tes divins propos Ont échauffé la glace Qui me gelait les os, Et ont rempli mon cœur D'une amoureuse ardeur. Mon âme soulait être Libre de passions, Mais Amour s'est fait maître De mes affections, Et a mis sous sa loi Et mon cœur et ma foi. Approche donc ma belle Approche, toi mon bien, Ne me sois plus rebelle Puisque mon cœur est tien. Pour mon mal apaiser, Donne-moi un baiser. Je meurs mon angelette, Je meurs en te baisant. Ta bouche tant doucette Va mon bien ravissant. À ce coup mes esprits Sont tous d'amour épris. Plutôt on verra l'onde Contre mont reculer, Et plutôt l'œil du monde Cessera de brûler, Que l'amour qui m'époint Décroisse d'un seul point.
Text as set by Lange-Müller:
Belle qui tient ma vie captive dans tes yeux, qui m'as l'âme ravie d'un souris gracieux ; viens tôt me secourir, ou me faudra mourir. Tes beautés et ta grâce, et tes divins propos ont de moi pris la place et causé tant de maux en remplissant mon cœur d'une amoureuse ardeur. Di d'un brûlant martyre tu n'as aucun émoi, si ta beauté m'attire et ne fait rien pour moi : tant aimer et souffrir, oh ! mieux vaudrait mourir.
Text Authorship:
- possibly by Jean Tabourot (1520 - 1595), as Thoinot Arbeau
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Adelin Marie Clovis (1867 - 1941), "Belle qui tiens ma vie" [ voice and piano ], from Trois chansons, no. 2, from 15 mélodies, no. 2, La Haye : Van Eck
Score: Haags Gemeente Archief [external link] [sung text not yet checked] - by Peter Erasmus Lange-Müller (1850 - 1926), "Belle qui tient ma vie", op. 28 no. 6 [ voice and piano ], from Six anciennes chansons d'amour, no. 6 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Jean Tabourot (1520 - 1595), as Thoinot Arbeau, "Belle qui tiens ma vie (Pavane)", 1588?, published 1589 [ vocal quartet with tambourine ] [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Yolande Uyttenhove (1925 - 2000), "Belle qui tiens ma vie", op. 34 (1968) [ medium voice, flute and guitar ] [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Grant Hicks) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-07-26
Line count: 42
Word count: 179
O beauty, who hold my life Captive in your eyes, Who have stolen my soul from me With a gracious smile, Come quickly to my aid Or I must die. Why do you coyly flee If I am near you? When I look into your eyes I become lost within myself, For your perfections Transform my deeds. Your beauties and your grace And your divine speech Have thawed the ice That was freezing my bones, And have filled my heart With amorous ardor. My soul used to be Free from passions, But love has made itself master Of my affections, And has placed under its law Both my heart and my faith. Come near then, my beauty, Come near, my blessing, Resist me no longer For my heart is yours; To ease my pain, Give me a kiss. I die, my little angel, I die when I kiss you, Your mouth so sweet Steals from me all I have; In that moment my spirits Are set aflame by love. We will sooner see the wave Recede against the mountain And the eye of the world Will sooner cease its burning Than the love that pricks me Decrease by a single speck.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of titles:
"Belle qui tiens ma vie" = "O beauty, who hold my life"
"Belle qui tiens ma vie (Pavane)" = "O beauty, who hold my life (Pavane)"
"Belle qui tient ma vie" = "The beauty who holds my life"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from Old French (Ancien français) to English copyright © 2026 by Grant Hicks, (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 Old French (Ancien français) possibly by Jean Tabourot (1520 - 1595), as Thoinot Arbeau
This text was added to the website: 2026-03-23
Line count: 42
Word count: 201