Three Songs

Song Cycle by Arnold D. Volpé

Word count: 164

1. The brook  [sung text not yet checked]

Laugh of the mountain! -- lyre of bird and tree!
Pomp of the meadow! mirror of the morn!
The soul of April, unto whom are born
The rose and jessamine, leaps wild in thee!

Although, where'er thy devious current strays,
The lap of earth with gold and silver teems,
To me thy clear proceeding brighter seems
Than golden sands, that charm each shepherd's gaze.

How without guile thy bosom, all transparent
As the pure crystal, lets the curious eye
Thy secrets scan, thy smooth, round pebbles count!

How, without malice murmuring, glides thy current!
O sweet simplicity of days gone by!
Thou shun'st the haunts of man, to dwell in limpid fount!

Authorship

Based on

Note: the earlier version of this poem has significant changes in the first stanza and smaller changes in the third.


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

2. Ici‑bas  [sung text not yet checked]

Ici-bas tous les lilas meurent,
Tous les chants des oiseaux sont courts,
Je rêve aux étés qui demeurent
    Toujours...

Ici-bas les lèvres effleurent 
Sans rien laisser de leur velours,
Je rêve aux baisers qui demeurent
    Toujours...

Ici-bas, tous les hommes pleurent
Leurs amitiés ou leurs amours;
Je rêve aux couples qui demeurent 
    Toujours...

Authorship

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Vrchlický) , "Zde"
  • ENG English [singable] (Samuel Byrne) , "In this world"
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Martin Stock) , "Hier auf Erden", copyright © 2001, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ramona Gabriela Peter) , "Quaggiù", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Note: quoted in Jules Lemaître's "Vers pour être chantés".


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

3. Scheidegruss 

— This text is not currently
in the database but will be added
as soon as we obtain it. —

Authorship

Based on