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Les fleurs dorment sur la prairié La nuit est claire, Viens, ma sœur ! Du soir et de la rêverie Goûtons ensemble la douceur ! Viens ! la lune mystérieuse Monte dans l'ombre pour mieux voir. Et nous regarde curieuse Pardessus le grand sapin noir ! Voistu comme tout est tranquille Aux bois, aux champs et dans le ciel On dirait que l'heure immobile S'arrête en son cours éternel, Et que, voyant la nuit si belle Le temps, las de toujours voler, Replie un moment sa grande aile Et s'oubie à la contempler ! L'homme s'en va ! Les vents effacent La faible empreinte de ses pas ! Les spectateurs changent et passent Le spectacle ne change pas ! Mais sur son char la nuit s'avance C'est l'heure noire du sommeil ! Viens, ma sœur, et dans l'espérance Allons attendre le soleil !
Text Authorship:
- by Anatole de Ségur, Marquis (1823 - 1902), "Par une belle nuit", appears in Sursum Corda, Paris, Nouvelle éd. , first published 1874 [author's text not yet checked 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 Charles Gounod (1818 - 1893), "Par une belle nuit", CG 421 (1869), published 1870 [ vocal duet for contralto and soprano with piano or orchestra ], Éd. Choudens; confirmed with a concert programme booklet [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Faith J. Cormier) , "One lovely night!", copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Jana Durand
This text was added to the website: 2004-03-25
Line count: 26
Word count: 133
The flowers sleep in the field and the night is clear. Come, sister. Let us taste together the sweetness of the evening and of dreams! Come! The mysterious moon climbs through the darkness to see better, peeping curiously at us over the tall black fir! Do you see how quiet everything is in woods, fields and heaven? Time pauses its eternal course. Seeing how fair the night is and weary of its endless flight, Time folds for a moment its broad wings and forgets itself in contemplation! Man departs! The wind erases his faint footsteps! The spectators change and pass away, but the spectacle is changeless! Night in its chariot advances and the dark hour of sleep is here! Come, sister, and let us await the sun in hope!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2004 by Faith J. Cormier, (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.
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Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Anatole de Ségur, Marquis (1823 - 1902), "Par une belle nuit", appears in Sursum Corda, Paris, Nouvelle éd. , first published 1874
This text was added to the website: 2004-03-25
Line count: 26
Word count: 129