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It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

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by Lucile de Chateaubriand (1764 - 1804)
Translation © by John Wagstaff

L'innocence
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG
Fille du ciel, aimable innocence,
Si j'osais de quelques-uns de tes traits 
essayer une faible peinture,
Je dirais que tu tiens lieu de vertu à l'enfance,
De sagesse au printemps de la vie,
De beauté à la vieillesse 
et de bonheur à l'infortune ;
Qu'étrangère à nos erreurs, 
tu ne verses que des larmes pures,
Et que ton sourire n'a rien que de céleste.
Belle innocence ! Mais quoi ! les dangers t'environnent,
L'envie t'adresse tous ses traits : 
trembleras-tu, modeste innocence ?
Chercheras-tu à te dérober 
aux périls qui te menacent ?
Non, je te vois debout, endormie, 
la tête appuyée sur un autel.

Text Authorship:

  • by Lucile de Chateaubriand (1764 - 1804) [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 Darius Milhaud (1892 - 1974), "L'innocence", op. 10 no. 3 (1913), published 1914 [ high voice and piano ], from Trois Poèmes en prose de Lucile de Chateaubriand, no. 3, Albert Zunz Mathot [sung text checked 1 time]

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English (John Wagstaff) , "Innocence", copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this page: Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2009-07-01
Line count: 17
Word count: 99

Innocence
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
Daughter of heaven, kind Innocence!
If I dared use some of your features 
to attempt a weak portrait of you,
I would say that you substitute for virtue in childhood,
And for wisdom in the springtime of life;
For beauty in old age, 
and for happiness in misfortune.
That, a stranger to our indiscretions, 
you weep only pure tears,
And there is only divinity in your smile.
Beautiful Innocence! But wait! Dangers surround you;
Envy looks you full in the face.
Will you tremble, modest Innocence? 
Will you seek to shy away
From the perils that threaten you?
No: I see you standing asleep, 
your head resting upon an altar.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2009 by John Wagstaff, (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 Lucile de Chateaubriand (1764 - 1804)
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2009-09-22
Line count: 17
Word count: 110

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