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Fleeting songs
Translations © by Thomas A. Gregg
Song Cycle by Samuel Barber (1910 - 1981)
View original-language texts alone: Mélodies passagères
Puisque tout passe, faisons la mélodie passagère ; celle qui nous désaltère, aura de nous raison. Chantons ce qui nous quitte avec amour et art ; soyons plus vite que le rapide départ.
Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, written c1924, appears in Poèmes français, in 1. Vergers, no. 36, first published 1926
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Puix que tot passa", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Thomas A. Gregg) , "Since all is passing", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- SPA Spanish (Español) (Elena María Accinelli) , copyright © 2017, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Since all is passing, Let us make a passing melody. The one that quenches our thirst Will be right for us. Let us sing what leaves us With love and art; Let us be quicker Than the quick departure.
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2010 by Thomas A. Gregg, (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 Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, written c1924, appears in Poèmes français, in 1. Vergers, no. 36, first published 1926
Go to the single-text view
This text was added to the website: 2010-11-15
Line count: 8
Word count: 39
Un cygne avance sur l'eau tout entouré de lui-même, comme un glissant tableau; ainsi à certains instants un être que l'on aime est tout un espace mouvant. Il se rapproche, doublé, comme ce cygne qui nage, sur notre âme troublée... qui à cet être ajoute la tremblante image de bonheur et de doute.
Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, written 1924, appears in Poèmes français, in 1. Vergers, no. 40
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Faith J. Cormier) , "A swan moves across the water", copyright © 2000, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "A swan", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Dors au fond de l'allée, tendre enfant, sous la dalle, on fera le chant de l'été autour de ton intervalle. Si une blanche colombe passait au vol là-haut, je n'offrirais à ton tombeau que son ombre qui tombe.
Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Tombeau", subtitle: "(dans un parc)", appears in Poèmes français, in 7. Poèmes épars
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Tomba en un parc", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Thomas A. Gregg) , "Grave in a park", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Ruhestatt in einem Park", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Confirmed with Poèmes français. Vergers. Les Roses. Les Fenêtres. Carnet de Poche. Poèmes épars, Paris: Paul Hartmann, ed., 1935, page 131.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
(in a park) Sleep at the end of the avenue, Tender child, under the flagstone, one will make a song of summer around your interval. If a white dove passes in flight above, I would offer upon your tomb only his shadow that falls.
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2010 by Thomas A. Gregg, (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 Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), "Tombeau", subtitle: "(dans un parc)", appears in Poèmes français, in 7. Poèmes épars
Go to the single-text view
This text was added to the website: 2010-11-15
Line count: 9
Word count: 45
Mieux qu'une tour profane, je me chauffe pour mûrir mon carillon. Qu'il soit doux, qu'il soit bon aux Valaisannes. Chaque dimanche, ton par ton, je leur jette ma manne; qu'il soit bon, mon carillon, aux Valaisannes. Qu'il soit doux, qu'il soit bon; samedi soir dans les channes tombe en gouttes mon carillon aux Valaisans des Valaisannes.
Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Poèmes français, in 2. Les Quatrains Valaisans, no. 12
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "El campanar canta", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Thomas A. Gregg) , "The bell tower sings", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Der Kirchturm singt", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Der Kirchturm singt", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Better than a secular tower, I warm myself to ripen my carillon. May it be sweet, may it be good for the Valais girls. Every Sunday, tone by tone, I throw them my manna; may it be good, my carillon for the Valais girls. May it be sweet, may it be good; Saturday night into their beers my carillon falls drop by drop to the Valais boys of the Valais girls.
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2010 by Thomas A. Gregg, (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 Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), no title, appears in Poèmes français, in 2. Les Quatrains Valaisans, no. 12
Go to the single-text view
This text was added to the website: 2010-11-15
Line count: 12
Word count: 71
Mon amie, il faut que je parte. Voulez-vous voir l'endroit sur la carte? C'est un point noir. En moi, si la chose bien me réussit, ce sera un point rose dans un vert pays.
Authorship:
- by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), from Poèmes français.
Go to the single-text view
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , "Partença", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Thomas A. Gregg) , "Departure", copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Abreise", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Abreise", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
My dear one, I must leave. Do you want to see the place on the map? It is a black point. In me, if the thing succeeds, it will be a red point in a green land.
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2010 by Thomas A. Gregg, (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 Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926), from Poèmes français.
Go to the single-text view
This text was added to the website: 2010-11-15
Line count: 8
Word count: 37