Sleep, friend; tomorrow your soul

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by Paul-Jean Toulet (1867 - 1920)

Translation © by Grant Hicks

Dormez, ami ; demain votre âme

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Dormez, ami ; demain votre âme
        Prendra son vol plus haut.
Dormez, mais comme le gerfaut,
        Ou la couverte flamme.

Tandis que dans le couchant roux
        Passent les éphémères,
Dormez sous les feuilles amères.
        Ma jeunesse avec vous.

About the headline (FAQ)

Confirmed with Paul-Jean Toulet, Les contrerimes, Paris: Emile-Paul Frères, 1923, page 80.

Text Authorship:

by Paul-Jean Toulet (1867 - 1920), "In memoriam J. G. M., M. C. M. III.", appears in Les Contrerimes, in Contrerimes, no. 68, Paris, Éd. Le Divan, first published 1921 [author's text checked 2 times 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 Louis Beydts (1896 - 1953), "Dormez, ami", 1945, published 1946 [ medium voice and piano or orchestra ], from d’Ombre et de soleil, no. 3, Éd. Durand [sung text checked 1 time]
by Camillo Togni (1922 - 1993), "Les Feuilles amères", 1989, published 1995 [ voice, unaccompanied ], Suvini Zerboni [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

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

This text was added to the website: 2014-06-13
Line count: 8
Word count: 37

Sleep, friend; tomorrow your soul

Language: English after the French (Français)

Sleep, friend; tomorrow your soul 
        Will be soaring higher.
Sleep, but like the gyrfalcon 
        Or the covered flame.

While into the russet sunset
        The mayflies pass,
Sleep beneath the bitter leaves.
        My youth with you.

About the headline (FAQ)

Translations of titles:
"Dormez, ami" = "Sleep, Friend"
"In memoriam J. G. M., M. C. M. III." = "In memory of J. G. M., 1903"
"Les Feuilles amères" = "Bitter Leaves"

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (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 French (Français) by Paul-Jean Toulet (1867 - 1920), "In memoriam J. G. M., M. C. M. III.", appears in Les Contrerimes, in Contrerimes, no. 68, Paris, Éd. Le Divan, first published 1921
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2026-02-01
Line count: 8
Word count: 35