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Las ! sans espoir je languis à grand tort, Pour la rigueur d'une beauté si fière, Qui sans ouïr mes pleurs ni ma prière Rit de mon mal si violent et fort De la beauté dont j'espérais support, Pour mon service et longue foi première, Je ne reçois que tourment et misère, Et pour secours je n'attends que la mort. Mais telle dame est si sage et si belle Que si quelqu'un la veut nommer cruelle En me voyant traité cruellement Vienne au combat ici je le défie, Il connaîtra qu'un si dur traitement Pour ses vertus m'est une douce vie.
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Text Authorship:
- by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), no title [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 Anthoine de Bertrand (1540? - 1581?), "Las ! sans espoir je languis", published 1578, first performed 1576 [ vocal quartet a cappella ], from Les Amours de Pierre de Ronsard à 4 parties, Livre 2, no. 23 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Guillaume Boni (c1530 - c1594), "Las! sans espoir", published 1607 [ vocal quartet ], from Sonnets de Pierre de Ronsard mis en musique à 4 parties, II, no. 5, Paris, Pierre Ballard [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Philippe de Monte (1521 - 1603), "Las ! sans espoir je languis" [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , "Alas, hopeless I pine in great wrong", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: John Versmoren , David Wyatt
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 14
Word count: 100
Alas, hopeless I pine in great wrong For the harshness of a beauty so loyal Which not listening to my weeping nor my prayer Laughs at my ills so violently, so hard -- Of the beauty from which I'd hoped for support For my service, and for my first and long-lasting faithfulness. But I receive nothing but torment and wretchedness And I expect help only from death. But that lady is so wise and beautiful That if anyone tried to call her cruel, Seeing me cruelly treated, Let him come and fight, here I challenge him; He should know that such harsh treatment Over her virtues is for me a sweet life.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2012 by David Wyatt, (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 Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), no title
This text was added to the website: 2012-06-23
Line count: 14
Word count: 111