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Quand je dors je ne sens rien, Je ne sens ne mal ne bien, Plus je ne me puis cognoitre, Je ne sçay ce que je suis, Ce que je fus, et ne puis Sçavoir ce que je dois estre: J'ay perdu le souvenir Du passé, de l'advenir, Je ne suis que vaine masse De bronz' en homme gravé, Ou quelque term' elevé Pour parad' en une place. Toutesfois je suis vivant, Repoussant mes flancs de vent, Et si perds toute memoire: Voyés donc que je seray Quand mort je reposeray Au fond de la tombe noire! L'ame volant d'un plain saut A Dieu s'en ira là haut Avecque luy se resoudre: Mais ce mien corps enterré, Sillé d'un somme ferré, Ne sera plus rien que poudre.
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Modernized version of text:
Quand je dors je ne sens rien, je ne sens ni mal ni bien, Plus je ne me puis connaître. Je ne sais ce que je suis, Ce que je fus, et ne puis Savoir ce que je dois être: J'ai perdu le souvenir Du passé, de l'avenir, Je ne suis que vaine masse De bronze en homme gravé Ou quelque terme élevé pour parade en une place. Toutefois je suis vivant, Repoussant mes flancs de vent, Et si perds toute mémoire, Voyez donc que je serai Quand mort je reposerai Au fond de la tombe noire! L'âme volant d'un plein saut A Dieu s'en ira là-haut, Avec lui se résoudre Mais ce mien corps enterré S'il est d'un somme fermé Ne sera plus rien que poudre.
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 Georges Boeuf (b. 1937), "L'hiver", subtitle: "Ode sur la mort", 2010 [ medium voice and string quartet ], from Les Quatre Saisons de Ronsard, no. 4 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Jean de Castro (c1540 - c1600), "Quand je dors je ne sens rien" [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , "When I sleep I feel nothing", 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: 127
When I sleep I feel nothing, I feel neither good nor bad; Further, I cannot understand, I do not know who I am, What I was, and cannot Comprehend what I must be: I have lost my recall Of the past, of the future, I am just an empty mass Of bronze carved as a man, Or some statue raised For display in a square. All the while I'm alive, Expanding my chest as I breathe, Yet have lost all memory completely; See then what I will be When I lie dead In the depths of the black tomb! My spirit will depart with a great leap, Flying to God on high To settle itself with Him; But this my body buried [Overcome by an iron sleep]1 Will be no more than dust.
1 alternative text in modern version: "As if it were shut up in sleep"
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: 2012-07-25
Line count: 24
Word count: 134