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Parfois, pendant les longues heures, de la nuit, quand grondent les mers, on entend des cloches qui pleurent dans les rocs aux goemons verts. Elles sonnent au loin, dans l'ombre, le glas des marins trépassés, martyrs dont croit toujours le nombre: La mer n'en a jamais assez. Cloches sinistres des abimes par vos éternelles clameurs croyez-vous expier leurs crimes et des veuves tarir les pleurs? Vos prières sont des blasphèmes! La Nature, mère des deuils qui brise les naufragés blemes contra la frange des écueils, en vain par votre voix adjure les veuves et les orphelins de ceux qu'elle jette en pature à la tempete, aux flots félins: Car tous, pendant de longues heures, de la nuit, quand grondent les mers, maudiront les cloches qui pleurent dans les rocs aux goemons verts, sonnant au loin, là-bas dans l'ombre, sous le souffle des vents glacés, pour les deuils dont s'accroit le nombre, le glas des marins trépassés.
Text Authorship:
- by Charles Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 - 1921) [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 Charles Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 - 1921), "Les cloches de la mer" [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Rebecca Lohnes) , "The bells of the sea", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Caroline Diehl
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 156
Sometimes, during the long hours Of the night, when seas roar, One can hear the bells crying In the green, seaweed-covered rocks. Far away they ring, in the shadows, The death knell for sailors passed away, Martyrs forever increasing in number: The sea is never satisfied. Sinister bells of the depths By your eternal clamor Do you think you can atone for their crime And stop the widows' tears? Your prayers are blasphemy! Nature, mother of grief, Who breaks the pale, ship-wrecked men Against the shallow rocks, In vain by your voice admonishes The widows and orphans Of those she gave as food To the storm, to the feline waves: For all, during the long hours Of the night, when seas roar, Will curse the bells which cry In the green, seaweed-covered rocks, Ringing far away, there in the shadows, Beneath the breath of icy winds, Forever increasing mourning, The death knell of sailors passed away.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2012 by Rebecca Lohnes, (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 Charles Camille Saint-Saëns (1835 - 1921)
This text was added to the website: 2012-03-27
Line count: 28
Word count: 156