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Mon cadavre est doux comme un gant Doux comme un gant de peau glacée Et mes prunelles effacées Font de mes yeux des cailloux blancs. Deux cailloux blancs dans mon visage Dans le silence deux muets Ombrés encore d'un secret Et lourds du poids mort des images. Mes doigts tant de fois égarés Sont joints en attitude sainte Appuyés au creux de mes plaintes Au noeud de mon coeur arrêté. Et mes deux pieds sont des montagnes, Les deux derniers monts que j'ai vus À la minute où j'ai perdu La course que les années gagnent. Mon souvenir est ressemblant, Enfants emportez-le bien vite, Allez, allez, ma vie est dite. Mon cadavre est doux comme un gant.
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Text Authorship:
- by Louise de Vilmorin (1902 - 1969), "Mon cadavre est doux comme un gant", written 1939, appears in Fiançailles pour rire, no. 3, Paris, Éd. NRF Gallimard, first published 1939 [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 Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963), "Mon cadavre est doux comme un gant", FP 101 no. 4 (1939), first performed 1942 [ soprano and piano ], from Fiançailles pour rire, no. 4 [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Laura Claycomb) , "My cadaver is soft like a glove", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Ingrid Schmithüsen) , "Mein Leichnam ist zart wie ein Handschuh", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: John Burke
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 117
Mein Leichnam ist zart wie ein Handschuh, Zart wie ein Handschuh von eiskühler Haut, Und meine erloschenen Pupillen Machen aus meinen Augen weiße Kieselsteine. Zwei weiße Kiesel in meinem Antlitz, In der Stille zwei Stillschweigende Umschattet noch von einem Geheimnis Und schwer vom leblosen Gewicht der Bilder. Meine Finger, die so oft fehl gingen, Sind verbunden in heilger Haltung Angedrückt auf der Mulde meiner Klagen, Am Scheitel meines stehengebliebenen Herzens. Und meine beiden Füße sind Berge, Die letzten beiden Berge, die ich sah, In der Minute, worin ich verlor Den Lauf, den die Jahre gewinnen. Meiner Erinnerung geht's ähnlich, Kinder, tragt sie schnell mit euch fort, Nur zu, nur zu, mein Leben ist bestimmt. Mein Leichnam ist zart wie ein Handschuh.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to German (Deutsch) copyright © 2013 by Ingrid Schmithüsen, (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 Louise de Vilmorin (1902 - 1969), "Mon cadavre est doux comme un gant", written 1939, appears in Fiançailles pour rire, no. 3, Paris, Éd. NRF Gallimard, first published 1939
This text was added to the website: 2013-05-30
Line count: 20
Word count: 121