The Stream | On the banks of the clear stream

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Le Ruisseau

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: CAT ENG

Au bord du clair ruisseau
croît la fleur solitaire,   
Dont la corolle brille
au milieu des roseaux ;   
Pensive, elle s'incline
et son ombre légère   
Se berce mollement
sur la moire des eaux.
 
Ô fleur, ô doux parfum,
lui dit le flot qui passe,   
A mes tendres accents
ta tristesse répond !   
A mon suave élan
vient marier ta grâce.   
Laisse-moi t'entraîner
vers l'océan profond !
 
Mais il l'entoure en vain
de sa douce caresse,   
Cette flottante image
aux incertains contours,   
Se dérobe au baiser
humide qui l'oppresse,   
Et le flot éploré
tristement suit son cours !

Text Authorship:

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [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 Gabriel Fauré (1845 - 1924), "Le Ruisseau", op. 22 (1881), published 1881 [ vocal duet for soprano and alto (or SA chorus) with piano ], Paris: J. Hamelle [sung text checked 1 time]

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El rierol", copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Gregory Ristow) , "The Stream"

Researcher for this page: Gregory Ristow

This text was added to the website: 2012-04-04
Line count: 24
Word count: 93

The Stream

Language: English after the French (Français)

On the banks of the clear stream
Grows the solitary flower,
Whose petals glimmer
In the midst of the reeds;
Thoughtful, she bends
And her light shadow
Rocks itself languidly
On the iridescence of the water.
 
O flower, o sweet perfume,
Says the passing stream,
To my tender words
Your sadness responds!
Come and join your grace
To my suave flair.
Let me carry you away
To the deep ocean!
 
But he holds her in vain
With his sweet caress.
This floating image
Of inexact contour
Shies away from the humid
Kiss that grips it,
And the tearful brook
Sadly follows its course!

Note: this translation may be freely copied provided credit is given.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English by Gregory Ristow

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist
- Go to the text page.

This text was added to the website: 2012-04-04
Line count: 24
Word count: 103