Oh, douces furent les heures | Oh, douces furent les heures

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by William Smyth (1765 - 1849)

Translation © by Daphné van Raemdonck

O sweet were the hours

Language: English

Our translations: FRE ITA

O sweet were the hours
When in mirth's frolic throng
I led up the revels
With dance and with song;
When brisk from the fountain
And bright as the day,
My spirits o'erflow'd
And ran sparkling away!

Wine! Wine! Wine!
Come bring me wine to cheer me,
Friend of my heart!
Come pledge me high!
Wine! Till the dreams of youth
Again are near me,
Why must they leave me,
Tell me, why?

Return, ye sweet hours!
Once again let me see
Your airly light forms
Of enchantment and glee;
Come, give an old friend,
While he crowns his gay glass,
A nod as you part
And a smile as you pass

I cannot forget you,
I would not resign,
There's health in my pulse,
And a spell in my wine;
And sunshine in Autumn,
Tho' passing too soon,
Is sweeter and dearer
Than sunshine in June.

Text Authorship:

by William Smyth (1765 - 1849), "O sweet were the hours" [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 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770 - 1827), "O sweet were the hours", op. 108 (25 schottische Lieder mit Begleitung von Pianoforte, Violine und Violoncello) no. 3 (1815) [ voice, violin, violoncello, piano ] [sung text checked 1 time]

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

FRE French (Français) (Daphné van Raemdonck) , "Oh, douces furent les heures", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) (Anonymous/Unidentified Artist) , "O köstliche Zeit"
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Belli erano i momenti", copyright © 2004, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2004-08-03
Line count: 32
Word count: 147

Oh, douces furent les heures

Language: French (Français) after the English

Oh, douces furent les heures,
lorsque dans une foule joyeuse et batifolante
j'ai dirigé les réjouissances 
avec la danse et le chant ;
Quand vifs, de la fontaine,
Et lumineux comme le jour,
Mes esprits ont débordé,
Et ont couru, en pétillant, au loin! 

Vin ! vin ! vin ! 
Viens donne-moi du vin pour m'égayer,
Ami de mon cœur,
Viens promets-moi l'ivresse
Vin ! jusqu'au moment où les rêves de jeunesse
sont à nouveau  près de moi,
Pourquoi doivent-ils me quitter,
Dis-moi, pourquoi ? 

Revenez, vous, douces heures !
Une fois de plus, laissez-moi entrevoir
vos formes aérées 
d'enchantement et de joie
Venez, donnez à un vieil ami,
pendant qu'il honore son verre guilleret,
Un hochement de tête en partant
et un sourire en passant.  

Je ne peux t'oublier
Je ne renoncerai pas,
Il y a de la santé dans mon pouls,
Et un sort dans mon vin.
Et le soleil en Automne,
bien qu'il parte trop tôt,
Est plus doux et plus cher
que le soleil de juin.

Translation revised 2010-10-23 with helpful suggestions by Pierre Mathé.

Text Authorship:

Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2010 by Daphné van Raemdonck, (re)printed on this website with kind permission. To reprint and distribute this author's work for concert programs, CD booklets, etc., you must ask the copyright-holder(s) directly for permission. If you receive no response, you must consider it a refusal.
Daphné van Raemdonck. Contact: d (DOT) vanraemdonck (AT) base (DOT) be
If you wish to commission a new translation, please contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in English by William Smyth (1765 - 1849), "O sweet were the hours"
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2010-10-22
Line count: 32
Word count: 163