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Puis que le miel d'amour, si comblé d'amertume, N'altere plus mon cœur comme il fit autrefois; Puis que du monde faux je mesprise les lois, Monstrons qu'un feu plus saint maintenantnous allume. Seigneur, d'un de tes cloux je veux faire ma plume, Bon encre de ton sang, mon papier de ta croix, Mon subject de ta gloire, et les chants de ma voix De ta mort, qui la mort éternelle consume. Le feu de ton amour, dans mon ame eslancé, Soit la sainte fureur dont je seray poussé, Et non d'un Apollon l'ombrageuse folie. Cet amour par la foy mon esprit ravira, Et, s'il te plaist, Seigneur, au ciel l'elevera Tout vif, comme sainct Paul ou le prophete Élie.
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Text Authorship:
- by Philippe Desportes (1545 - 1606), "Sonnet III" [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 Hendrik Andriessen (1892 - 1981), "Puis que le miel d'amour", from Trois sonnets spirituels, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Peter Low) , "Since the honey of love", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2008-07-06
Line count: 14
Word count: 120
Since the honey of love, which is so filled with bitterness,
no longer taints my heart as it did in the past,
and since I now despise the rules of false society,
let me show that a holier fire now inflames me.
Lord Jesus, I wish to make my pen from the nails of your cross,
my paper from its wood, my ink from your blood;
to choose as my subject your glory, and as my songs' inspiration
your death, which conquers eternal death.
May the fire of your love soaring in my soul
be the divine fury that drives me, a holy enthusiasm
and not the shadowy folly of the god Apollo.
This holy love will transport my spirit by faith,
and will (if you so wish it, Lord) raise my soul to heaven
without death, as occurred with Saint Paul or the prophet Elias.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2010 by Peter Low, (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 Philippe Desportes (1545 - 1606), "Sonnet III"
This text was added to the website: 2010-07-16
Line count: 14
Word count: 147