French (Français) translations of Three Shakespeare Songs, opus 37

by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867 - 1944)

1. O mistress mine
 (Sung text)
by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867 - 1944), "O mistress mine", op. 37 (Three Shakespeare Songs) no. 1
    Score: IMSLP [external link]
Language: English 
O mistress mine, where are you roaming?
O stay and hear, your true love's coming 
That can sing both high and low.

Trip no further, pretty sweeting;
Journeys end in lovers' meeting,
Ev'ry wise man's son doth know.

What is love? 'Tis not hereafter;
Present mirth hath present laughter;
What's to come is still unsure:

In delay there lies no plenty;
Then come kiss me, sweet and twenty;
Youth's a stuff will not endure.

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by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
1.
[Translation not yet available]
2. Take, o take those lips away
 (Sung text)
by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867 - 1944), "Take, o take those lips away", op. 37 (Three Shakespeare Songs) no. 2, published 1897 [ voice and piano ], Boston : Schmidt
    Score: IMSLP [external link]
Language: English 
Take, o take those lips away,
That so sweetly were forsworn;
And those eyes, the break of day,
Lights that do mislead the morn:
But my kisses bring again;
Seals of love, but seal'd in vain, sealed in vain.

Hide, o hide those hills of snow
that thy frozen bosom wears,
On whose tops the pinks that grow
are yet of those that April wears;
But first set my poor heart free,
Bound in those icy chains by thee.

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
  • sometimes misattributed to William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)

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Note: quoted by John Fletcher, in Bloody Brother, 1639 and by William Shakespeare, in Measure for Measure, Act IV, scene 1, c1604 (just one stanza)
by Anonymous / Unidentified Author and sometimes misattributed to William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
2.
Language: French (Français) 
Éloigne, oh, éloigne ces lèvres,
Qui si suavement se sont parjurées ;
Et ces yeux, points du jour,
Lumières qui trompent l'aube :
Mais mes baisers, rends-les moi ;
Sceaux d'amour, scellés en vain, scellés en vains.

Cache, oh, cache ces collines de neige
Que ta poitrine gelée porte,
Sur leurs sommets les boutons qui y poussent
Sont encore ceux qu'avril porte ;
Mais d'abord libère mon pauvre cœur,
Lié dans ces chaînes glacées par toi.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2011 by Guy Laffaille, (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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This text was added to the website: 2011-06-25
Line count: 12
Word count: 72

Translation © by Guy Laffaille
3. Fairy lullaby  [sung text not yet checked]
by Amy Marcy Cheney Beach (1867 - 1944), "Fairy lullaby", op. 37 (Three Shakespeare Songs) no. 3
    Score: IMSLP [external link]
Language: English 
You spotted snakes with double tongue,
Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen;
Newts and blindworms, do no wrong,
Come not near our Fairy Queen.

Philomel, with melody
Sing in our sweet lullaby;
Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, [lullaby:]1
Never harm,
Nor spell nor charm,
Come our lovely lady nigh;
So, good night, with lullaby.

Weaving spiders, come not here;
Hence, you long-legg'd spinners, hence!
Beetles black, approach not near;
Worm nor snail, do no offence.

Philomel, with melody, 
Sing in our sweet lullaby;
Lulla, lulla, lullaby; lulla, lulla, [lullaby:]2
Never harm,
Nor spell nor charm,
Come our lovely lady nigh;
So, good night, with lullaby.

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View original text (without footnotes)
1 Křenek: "lullaby."
2 Blitzstein: "lullaby./ Lullaby."

by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
3.
[Translation not yet available]