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Une vierge aux doux yeux Passe de rayons couronnée ; Sur nos fronts plus joyeux Semant les roses de l’année. C’est, avec le jour, Avril de retour, C’est l’aube nouvelle Du printemps trop court ! Ô saison d’amour, Sois éternelle ! Ô saison d’amour, ah ! saison d’amour ! Elle fuit, sur ses pas Marche une vierge moins parée, Mais qui tient dans ses bras Des épis, la moisson dorée. L’été ! C’est l’été ! Qui dans sa bonté Répand sur le monde L’épi récolté. Garde ta beauté, Saison féconde, Garde ta beauté, ah ! saison d’été ! Plus alerte en ses jeux Une autre a bientôt pris sa place, Enlaçant ses cheveux Des pampres noués avec grâce. C’est l’automne enfin Qui rit du chagrin Et sous une treille Chante le raisin. Arrête en chemin, Saison vermeille, Arrête en chemin, ah ! reste en chemin ! Mais l’automne a passé, Pâle, vient une sœur nouvelle, Dont le front est glacé Et qui pourtant est la plus belle. Au seuil dévasté De la pauvreté L’hiver la rappelle C’est le charité Ah ! toute gaîté Revit en elle ! C’est la charité, ah ! la charité !
Text Authorship:
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Jacques Offenbach (1819 - 1880), "Les saisons", from Les voix mystérieuses, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Garrett Medlock) , "The seasons", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Laura Stanfield Prichard [Guest Editor] , Garrett Medlock [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2016-12-14
Line count: 44
Word count: 180
A virgin with sweet eyes Passes with crowned rays, Sowing the year’s roses Upon our happier brows. It is, with the day, April again, It is the new dawn Of spring, too short! Oh season of love, May you be eternal! Oh season of love, ah! season of love! She flees, [and] in her footsteps Walks a virgin less adorned, But who holds in her arms ears [of corn], the golden harvest. Summer! It is summer! Who in her bounty Spreads over the world The harvested ears. Keep your beauty, Fertile season, Keep your beauty, ah! season of summer! More lively in its games Another soon took her place, Enlacing its hair With gracefully [woven grapevines]. It is autumn at last Who laughs with melancholy, And the grape[vine] sings Beneath a trellis. Rest on your way, Vermilion season, Rest on your way, ah! stop on your way! But autumn has passed, Pale, comes a new sister, Whose brow is frozen And who is yet the most beautiful. On the devastated threshold Of poverty [Which] winter resembles, Is charity Ah! all gaiety Lives again in her! It is charity, ah! charity!
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2020 by Garrett Medlock, (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 (Paul) Jules Barbier (1825 - 1901)
This text was added to the website: 2020-02-27
Line count: 44
Word count: 190