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Figure de force brûlante et farouche Cheveux noirs où l'or coule vers le sud Aux nuits corrompues Or englouti étoile impure Dans un lit jamais partagé. Aux veines des tempes Comme aux bouts des seins La vie se refuse. Les yeux nul ne peut les crever Boire leur éclat ni leurs larmes. Le sang au-dessus d'eux triomphe pour lui seul. Intraitable démesurée Inutile Cette santé bâtit une prison.
About the headline (FAQ)
Confirmed with Paul Éluard, Œuvres complètes, Vol. 1, Paris: Gallimard, 1968, Pages 508-509.
Text Authorship:
- by Eugène Émile Paul Grindel (1895 - 1952), as Paul Éluard, no title, appears in Les yeux fertiles, in Intimes, no. 4 [author's text checked 1 time 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 Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963), "Figure de force brûlante et farouche", FP 86 no. 8 (1937), published 1937 [ high voice and piano ], from Tel jour Telle nuit, no. 8, Éd. Durand [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Grant Hicks) , "Figure of strength fiery and untamed", copyright © 2025, (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 between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 68
Figura de força abrasadora i ferotge Cabells negres on l'or flueix vers el sud A les nits corrompudes Or englotit estrella impura En un llit mai compartit. A les venes dels temples Com a les puntes dels pits La vida es nega a si mateixa. Res no pot rebentar els ulls Beure'n l’esclat ni les llàgrimes. La sang al seu damunt triomfa per ella mateixa. Intractable desmesurada Inútil Aquesta salut construí una presó.
About the headline (FAQ)
Translations of titles:
"Figure de force brûlante et farouche" = "Figura de força abrasadora i ferotge"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to Catalan (Català) copyright © 2026 by Salvador Pila, (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 Eugène Émile Paul Grindel (1895 - 1952), as Paul Éluard, no title, appears in Les yeux fertiles, in Intimes, no. 4
This text was added to the website: 2026-05-30
Line count: 14
Word count: 73