English translations of 3 Mélodies pour chant, opus 3

by Jacques Dupont, dit Jacque-Dupont (1906 - 1985)

1. La dernière feuille  [sung text not yet checked]
by Jacques Dupont, dit Jacque-Dupont (1906 - 1985), "La dernière feuille", op. 3 (3 Mélodies pour chant) no. 2 (1931-2), published 1932 [ high voice and piano ], Paris, Heugel
Language: French (Français) 
Dans la forêt chauve et rouillée
Il ne reste plus au rameau
Qu'une pauvre feuille oubliée,
Rien qu'une feuille et qu'un oiseau,

Il ne reste plus [dans]1 mon âme
Qu'un seul amour pour y chanter;
Mais le vent d'automne [qui]2 brame
Ne permet pas de l'écouter.

L'oiseau s'en va, la feuille tombe,
L'amour s'éteint, car c'est l'hiver.
Petit oiseau, viens sur ma tombe
Chanter, quand l'arbre sera vert.

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Text first published as "L'hiver" in the journal "Don Quichotte", April 30, 1837.
1 Chausson: "en"
2 Pedrell: "que"

by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872)
1. The last leaf
Language: English 
In the bare and blighted forest
nothing now remains on the branches
except a poor forgotten leaf,
nothing but a leaf and a bird.

Nothing now remains in my heart
except one love which is there to sing.
But the howling autumn wind
prevents it from being heard.

The bird flies away, the leaf falls,
the love stops burning, for it is winter.
Oh little bird, come to my tomb
to sing when the tree is green again.

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  • 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: 12
Word count: 78

Translation © by Peter Low