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Ma douce jouvence est passée, Ma première force est cassée, J'ay la dent noire et le chef blanc; Mes nerfs sont dissous, et mes veines, Tant j'ay le corps froid, ne sont pleines Que d'une eau rousse en lieu de sang. Adieu, ma lyre; adieu, fillettes, Jadis mes douces amourettes. Adieu, je sens venir ma fin; Nul passetemps de ma jeunesse Ne m'accompagne en la vieillesse, Que le feu, le lict et le vin. J'ay la teste toute estourdie De trop d'ans et de maladie; De tous costez le soin me mord, Et, soit que j'aille ou que je tarde, Tousjours après moy je regarde Si je verray venir la mort. Qui doit, ce me semble, à toute heure Me mener là bas, oij demeure Je ne sçay quel Pluton, qui tient Ouvert à tous venans un antre, Oii bien facilement on entre, Mais d'où jamais on ne revient.
J. Leguerney sets stanzas 1, 3
About the headline (FAQ)
Modernized version used by Leguerney:Ma douce jouvence est passée, Ma première force est cassée; J'ai la dent noire et le chef blanc; Mes nerfs sont dissous, et mes veines, Tant j'ai le corps froid ne sont pleines Que d'une eau rousse au lieu de sang. J'ai la tête toute étourdie De trop d'ans et de maladie; De tous côtés le soin me mord; Et soit que j'aille ou que je tarde, Toujours après moi je regarde Si je verrai venir la mort.
Text Authorship:
- by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), no title, appears in Les Odes, no. 11 [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 Jacques Leguerney (1906 - 1997), "Ma douce jouvence est passée", 1942, published 1950, stanzas 1,3 [ voice and piano ], from Poèmes de la Pléiade, Vol. II, no. 4, Éditions Salabert [sung text checked 1 time]
Settings in other languages, adaptations, or excerpts:
- Also set in French (Français), [adaptation] ; composed by Louis Théodore Gouvy.
Other available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , "My sweet youth has gone", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 149
My sweet youth has gone My early strength is shattered I have black teeth and a white head My nerves are unstrung, and my veins So cold is my body, seem to be filled With nothing but red water instead of blood. My head is totally stunned With too many years and with illness, On all sides cares gnaw at me And whether I go or stay longer I am always looking behind me In case I see death coming.
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, appears in Les Odes, no. 11
This text was added to the website: 2012-06-23
Line count: 12
Word count: 80