The Poem of the Flowers

Translations © by Peter Low

Song Cycle by Jules Massenet (1842 - 1912)

View original-language texts alone: Le poème des fleurs

1. Prélude
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Lançant dans l'air son doux rappel,
Le passereau dit aux campagnes,
A la forêt comme aux montagnes :
Il est parti l'hiver cruel !

L'arbre répond, l'arbre murmure :
Je vois s'ouvrir boutons et fleurs !
Quelle fête dans les couleurs,
Ô printemps, roi de la Nature !

Joyeux refrain, de nids en nids,
Le chant de triomphe s'envole,
Se mèle au bruit de l'onde molle,
Ebranle les cieux infinis.

Dans les taillis, de tige en tige,
le cri joyeux glisse et descend ;
L'azur emplit le ciel soyeux,
La plaine est verte et tout voltige.

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by Armand Gasquy (1851 - 1934)
1. Prelude
Language: English 
Sending his soft call out into the air,
the sparrow says to the open fields,
the forests and the mountains alike:
"Cruel winter has departed!"

The tree replies with a quiet murmur:
"I see buds and flowers opening!
What a feast of colors you make,
oh Spring, King of Nature!"

As a joyful chorus, from nest to nest,
the song of triumph takes wing,
mingles with the noise of the liquid waters, 
and shakes the infinite skies.

In the copses from branch to branch
the joyful cry slides and descends;
the silky sky is filled with blue, 
the plain is green and all aflutter.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2013 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: 2013-05-27
Line count: 16
Word count: 104

Translation © by Peter Low
2. L'hymne des fleurs
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Mille fleurs aux calices d'or,
Pétales bleus, pétales roses,
Violettes à peine écloses,
Pervenches qui naissez encor,
Par vous la brise est parfumée,
Par vous se constelle le sol,
Et le frais zéphir dans son vol
Vous baise : ô caresse embaumée !
Du matin les rayons altiers
Vous baisent, pâles églantines,
Fleurissez, blanches aubépines,
Fleurissez, roses amandiers!

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by Armand Gasquy (1851 - 1934)
2. The hymn of the flowers
Language: English 
You thousand golden-cupped flowers,
petals of blue, petals of pink,
you violets barely opened,
and periwinkles still being born,
by you the breeze is scented,
by you the ground is spangled, 
and the fresh zephyr blowing across
kisses you with a fragrant caress!
The haughty rays of the morning
kiss you, pale wild roses.
Oh bloom, white hawthorns,
bloom, pink almond-trees!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2013 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: 2013-05-27
Line count: 12
Word count: 61

Translation © by Peter Low
3. La danse des rameaux
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Les rameaux dans l'azur limpide
Se balancent tous à la fois,
On entend frissonner les bois,
La forêt parle et n'est plus vide.

De branche en branche un long murmure,
De feuille en feuille, un long soupir,
Retentit sans jamais finir,
Aussi longtemps que le jour dure.

Aux blés, comme aux herbes en liesse,
La brise en passant doucement
Imprime un lent balancement
Et laisse aux fleurs une caresse.

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by Armand Gasquy (1851 - 1934)
3. The dance of the branches
Language: English 
The branches in the clear blue sky
are all swaying together.
The woods can be heard quivering, 
the forest speaks, no longer empty.

From branch to branch, from leaf to leaf,
a long murmur, a long sigh,
resounds without ever ceasing,
for as long as the daylight lasts.

The breeze as it gently crosses
the wheatfields and happy grasses
imposes on them a slow swaying
and gives the flowers a caress.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2013 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: 2013-05-27
Line count: 12
Word count: 71

Translation © by Peter Low
4. Chanson de mai 
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Mai ! Mai ! Mai ! 
Beau mois de Mai, 
Beau mois de Mai,
Verse Rayons, parfums, rêves et chants ;
Beau mois de Mai!
Qu'il sorte des nids gazouillants
Un hosannah plein d'allégresse.
Beau mois de Mai ! 
Beau mois de Mai !

Toute la terre est une fleur,
L'immense ciel est un portique,
Et dans son amour magnifique,
La terre offre au ciel son bonheur.
Beau mois de Mai ! Beau mois de Mai !
Verse Rayons, parfums, rêves et chants ;
La terre offre au ciel son bonheur.
Mai ! Mai ! Mai !

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by Armand Gasquy (1851 - 1934)
4. May song
Language: English 
May! May! May!
Oh beautiful month of May,
Oh beautiful month of May,
pour down your rays, scents, dreams and songs.
Oh beautiful month of May,
call forth from the chirping nests
a hosanna full of bliss.
Oh beautiful month of May,
Oh beautiful month of May!

The whole earth is a flower,
the great arching sky is a portico,
and the earth in its magnificent love,
offers up to heaven its joy. 
Oh beautiful month of May,
pour down your rays, scents, dreams and songs;
the earth offers up to heaven its joy.
May! May! May!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2013 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: 

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This text was added to the website: 2013-05-27
Line count: 17
Word count: 97

Translation © by Peter Low