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It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

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by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)
Translation © by David Wyatt

Pour‑ce que tu sçay bien
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG
   Pour-ce que tu sçais bien que je t'aime trop mieus, 
Trop mieus dix mille fois que je ne fais ma vie, 
Que je ne fais mon coeur, ma bouche, ni mes yeus, 
Plus que le nom de mort tu fuis le nom d'amie. 

   Si je faisois semblant de n'avoir point envie 
D'estre ton serviteur, tu m'aimerois trop mieus, 
Trop mieus dix mille fois que tu ne fais ta vie, 
Que tu ne fais ton coeur, ta bouche, ni tes yeus. 

   C'est d'amour la coustume, alors que plus on aime 
D'estre tousjours hay: je le sçai par moi-mesme 
Qui suis hay de toi, seulement quand tu m'ois 

   Jurer que je suis tien: helas! que doi-je faire? 
Tout ainsi qu'on garist un mal par son contraire, 
Si je te haïssois, soudain tu m'aimerois.

Text Authorship:

  • by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585) [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?), "Pour-ce que tu sçay bien", published 1578, first performed 1576 [ vocal quartet a cappella ], from Les Amours de Pierre de Ronsard à 4 parties, Livre 2, no. 18 [sung text not yet checked]

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

  • ENG English (David Wyatt) , "Because you know very well", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-03-23
Line count: 14
Word count: 132

Because you know very well
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
Because you know very well that I love you too well,
Ten thousand times as well as I do my life,
As I do my heart, my lips, my eyes,
You run from the word 'beloved' more than the word 'death'.

If I pretended to have no desire at all
To be your servant, you would love me better,
Ten thousand times better than you do your life,
Than you do your heart, your lips, your eyes.

That's the custom in love, the more you love
The more you're always hated; I know it from my own case,
Since I am hated by you, only when you hear me

Swear that I am yours: alas! what must I do?
Just as they cure an illness with its opposite,
If I should hate you, suddenly you'd love me.  

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.
    Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

  • a text in French (Français) by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)
    • Go to the text page.

 

This text was added to the website: 2012-07-25
Line count: 14
Word count: 137

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–Emily Ezust, Founder

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