English translations of Quatre poèmes pour chant et piano, opus 22

by Józef Koffler (1896 - 1944)

1. Ariette oubliées  [sung text not yet checked]
by Józef Koffler (1896 - 1944), "Ariette oubliées", op. 22 (Quatre poèmes pour chant et piano) no. 2, published 1936 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Sénart
Language: French (Français) 
Il [pleure]1 dans mon cœur
Comme il pleut sur la ville ;
Quelle est cette langueur
Qui pénètre mon cœur ?

Ô bruit doux de la pluie,
Par terre et sur les toits !
Pour un cœur qui s'ennuie,
Ô le [chant]2 de la pluie !

Il pleure sans raison
Dans [ce]3 cœur qui s'écœure.
Quoi ! nulle trahison ? ...
[Ce]4 deuil est sans raison.

C'est bien la pire peine,
De ne savoir pourquoi...
Sans amour et sans haine
Mon cœur a tant de peine !

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View original text (without footnotes)
1 Rostand: "pleut"
2 Debussy: "bruit"
3 Fauré, Rostand: "mon"; Madetoja: "le"
4 Fauré, Rostand: "Mon"

by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896)
1. There is weeping in my heart
Language: English 
 There is weeping in my heart
 like the rain falling on the town.
 What is this languor
 that pervades my heart?
 
 Oh the patter of the rain
 on the ground and the roofs!
 For a heart growing weary
 oh the song of the rain!
 
 There is weeping without cause
 in this disheartened heart.
 What!  No betrayal?
 There's no reason for this grief.
 
 Truly the worst pain
 is not knowing why,
 without love or hatred,
 my heart feels so much pain.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2000 by Peter Low, (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 between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 81

Translation © by Peter Low
2. Chanson d'automne  [sung text not yet checked]
by Józef Koffler (1896 - 1944), "Chanson d'automne", op. 22 (Quatre poèmes pour chant et piano) no. 3, published 1936 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Sénart
Language: French (Français) 
Les sanglots longs
Des violons
   De l'automne
Blessent mon cœur
D'une langueur
   Monotone.

Tout suffocant
Et blême, quand
   Sonne l'heure,
Je me souviens
Des jours anciens
   Et je pleure ;

Et je m'en vais
Au vent mauvais
   Qui m'emporte
Deçà, delà,
Pareil à la
   Feuille morte.

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Confirmed with Paul Verlaine, Poëmes saturniens, Paris: Alphonse Lemerre, 1866, in Paysages tristes, pages 57-58.


by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896)
2. The long sobs
Language: English 
 The long sobs
 of autumn's
 violins
 wound my heart
 with a monotonous
 languor.
 
 Suffocating
 and pallid, when
 the clock strikes,
 I remember
 the days long past
 and I weep.
 
 And I set off
 in the rough wind
 that carries me
 hither and thither
 like a dead
 leaf.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2000 by Peter Low, (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: 

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 18
Word count: 48

Translation © by Peter Low