Four Chinese Poems from The Jade Flute by Franz Toussaint

Translations © by Grant Hicks

by Raymond Moulaert (1875 - 1962)

View original-language texts alone: Quatre poèmes chinois extraits de La Flûte de Jade de Franz Toussaint

1. Notre bateau glisse
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Notre bateau glisse sur le fleuve calme.
Au delà du verger qui borde la rive,
je regarde les montagnes bleues et les nuages blancs.

Mon amie sommeille, la main dans l'eau.
Un papillon s'est posé sur son épaule,
a battu des ailes puis s'est envolé.

Je l'ai suivi des yeux, longtemps.
Il se dirigeait vers les montagnes de Tchang-nân.

Etait-ce un papillon, ou le rêve que venait de faire mon amie ?

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Confirmed with Franz Toussaint, La flûte de jade : poésies chinoises, Paris: H. Piazza, 1922, pages 29-30.


by Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955)
1. Our boat glides ..
Language: English 
Our boat glides on the placid river. 
Beyond the orchard that runs along the bank, 
I gaze at the blue mountains and the white clouds. 

My love dozes, her hand in the water.
A butterfly has landed on her shoulder,
flapped its wings then flown off.

I followed it with my eyes for a long time.
It was headed towards the Tchang-nân mountains.

Was it a butterfly, or the dream my love had just dreamed?

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: 2026-04-15
Line count: 9
Word count: 75

Translation © by Grant Hicks
2. L'orage favorable
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Je maudissais la pluie qui faisait résonner mon toit
et m'empêchait de dormir.
 
Je maudissais le vent qui saccageait mon jardin.
 
Mais tu es arrivée !
 
Et j'ai remercié la pluie, puisque tu as dû ôter ta robe mouillé,
et j'ai remercié le vent, qui venait d'éteindre ma lampe.

Text Authorship:

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Confirmed with Franz Toussaint, La flûte de jade : poésies chinoises, Paris: H. Piazza, 1920, page 31.


by Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955)
2. The Favorable Storm
Language: English 
I cursed the rain that was pounding on my roof
and keeping me from sleeping. 

I cursed the wind that was destroying my garden.

But you arrived!

And I thanked the rain, since you had to take off your wet robe,
and I thanked the wind, which had just put out my lamp.

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: 2026-04-12
Line count: 6
Word count: 53

Translation © by Grant Hicks
3. Souvenirs
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Cette nuit, il neigeait dans le jardin Liang.
J’avais froid, et tu ne t’en doutais pas.
Je regardais les arbres de jade
sous lesquels, autrefois, je t’attendais.

Text Authorship:

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Confirmed with Franz Toussaint, La flûte de jade : poésies chinoises, Paris: H. Piazza, 1922, page 33.

Note: later editions have the following changes to the text:
Line 3 is "Je regardais les grands arbres"
There is a second stanza as follows: 

Toute cette neige
qui tombait sur notre passé…


by Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955)
3. Memories
Language: English 
That night, it was snowing in the garden of Liang.
I was cold, and you didn't suspect it.
I looked at the trees of jade
under which I once used to wait for you.

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: 2026-04-24
Line count: 4
Word count: 34

Translation © by Grant Hicks
4. Les jeunes filles de Yuen
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
A Ye-ki, les cueilleuses de nénuphars rament en chantant.
Si un étranger les regarde,
elles se cachent derrière les tas de nénuphars,
font semblant d’être confuses, et rient, et rient…

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Confirmed with Franz Toussaint, La flûte de jade : poésies chinoises, Paris: H. Piazza, 1922, page 45.


by Franz Toussaint (1879 - 1955)
4. The maidens of Yuen
Language: English 
At Ye-ki, the girls who gather water lilies sing as they row.
If a stranger looks at them, 
they hide behind piles of water lilies, 
pretend to be embarrassed, and laugh and laugh...

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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This text was added to the website: 2026-04-23
Line count: 4
Word count: 33

Translation © by Grant Hicks