Three Songs for soprano, flute and harp

Translations © by Grant Hicks

by Rosalie Marie Wertheim (1888 - 1949)

View original-language texts alone: Trois Chansons pour soprano, flûte et harpe

1. La danse des dieux
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
J'avais mis toute mon âme dans une chanson
que j'ai chanté aux hommes, et ils ont ri !
j'ai pris mon luth,
je suis allé m'asseoir au sommet d'une montagne
et j'ai chanté la chanson 
que les hommes n'avaient pas comprise.
Le soleil se couchait.
Au rhythme de ma chanson,
les Dieux ont dansé sur les nuages rouges
qui flottaient dans le ciel.

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by Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955)
1. The Dance of the Gods
 (Sung text translation) See original
Language: English 
I had poured my entire soul into a song
which I sang for men, and they laughed!
I took up my lute,
and went and sat down on a mountaintop 
and sang the song
that men had not understood.
The sun was setting.
To the rhythm of my song,
the Gods danced upon the red clouds
that were floating in the sky.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2026 by Grant Hicks, (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: 2026-04-14
Line count: 10
Word count: 66

Translation © by Grant Hicks
2. Les deux flûtes
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Un soir que je respirais le parfum des fleurs 
au bord de la rivière,
le vent m'apporta la chanson d'une flûte lointaine.
Pour lui répondre, je coupai une branche de saule,
et la chanson de ma flûte berça la nuit charmée.
Depuis ce soir-là, tous les jours, 
à l'heure où la campagne s'endort,
les oiseaux entendent se répondre
deux oiseaux inconnus,
dont ils comprennent cependant le langage.

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by Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955)
2. The Two Flutes
Language: English 
One evening when I was breathing the scent of the flowers
on the riverbank,
the wind carried to me the song of a distant flute.
To answer it, I cut a willow branch,
and the song of my flute lulled the enchanted night.
Since that evening, every day,
at the hour when the countryside falls asleep,
the birds hear calling back and forth 
two birds they do not know,
but whose language they still understand.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2026 by Grant Hicks, (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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Translations of titles:
"Dialogue dans la nuit" = "Dialogue in the Night"
"Les 2 flûtes" = "The 2 Flutes"
"Les deux flûtes" = "The Two Flutes"


This text was added to the website: 2026-04-14
Line count: 10
Word count: 75

Translation © by Grant Hicks
3. Sur les bords du Jo‑Jeh
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Des jeunes filles cueillent des nénuphars
sur les bords du Jo-Jeh
Parmi les bambous, elles s'interpellent
et se cachent en riant.
L'eau réfléchit leurs belles robes,
qui parfument la brise.

Des cavaliers passent entre les saules de la rive...
Un des chevaux hennit.
Son maître regarde en vain de tous côtés - puis s'éloigne.
Une des jeunes filles
laisse tomber ses nénuphars et comprime son cœur
qui bat à grands coups.

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by Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955)
3. On the Banks of the Jo-Yeh
Language: English 
Girls are gathering water lilies
on the banks of the Jo-Yeh.
Amidst the bamboo, they call out to each other 
and playfully conceal themselves.
The water reflects their beautiful robes,
which perfume the breeze.

Horsemen ride by beneath the willows of the riverbank ...
One of the horses whinnies.
Its master looks all around in vain
and then moves off.
One of the girls 
drops her lilies and presses her hand to her heart,
which is pounding.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2026 by Grant Hicks, (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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Based on:

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This text was added to the website: 2026-04-07
Line count: 13
Word count: 78

Translation © by Grant Hicks