English translations of Trois mélodies, opus 4
by Jules Regnaud
1. Les papillons  [sung text not yet checked]
by Jules Regnaud , "Les papillons", op. 4 (Trois mélodies) no. 2, published 1867 [ high voice and piano ], Paris, G. Flaxland
Language: French (Français)
Les papillons couleur de neige Volent par essaims sur la mer ; Beaux papillons blancs, quand pourrai-je Prendre le bleu chemin de l'air ? Savez-vous, ô belle des belles, Ma bayadère aux yeux de jais, S'ils me [pouvaient]1 prêter leurs ailes, Dites, savez-vous où j'irais ? Sans prendre un seul baiser aux roses, À travers vallons et forêts, J'irais à vos lèvres mi-closes, Fleur de mon âme, et j'y mourrais.
Text Authorship:
- by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872), title 1: "Les papillons", title 2: "Pantoum", written 1837, appears in La Comédie de la Mort, first published 1838
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View original text (without footnotes)Note: this poem was titled "Pantoum" in L'Eldorado and Fortunio, and titled "Les papillons" in other editions.
1 in some settings, "voulaient"; we will add further information when we obtain it. by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872)
1. The butterflies
Language: English
The snow-white butterflies fly in swarms over the sea. Beautiful white butterflies, when can I travel the blue path of the air? Tell me, oh fairest of the fair, my dancing-girl with the jet-black eyes - if they were to lend me their wings, do you know where I would fly? Not taking one kiss from the roses, I'd fly across valleys and forests to alight on your half-closed lips (oh my soul's chosen flower!) - and there I'd die.
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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Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872), title 1: "Les papillons", title 2: "Pantoum", written 1837, appears in La Comédie de la Mort, first published 1838
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Translation of title "Les papillons" = "The butterflies"This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 12
Word count: 78
Translation © by Peter Low