Cantata of Impatience

Cantata by Jean Philippe Rameau (1683 - 1764)

View original-language texts alone: Cantata L'Impatience

1. Récitatif
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Ces lieux brillent deja d'une vive clarte. 
Depuis long temps j'ai vu naitre l'aurore; 
Le charmant objet que j'adore 
Devait la preceder dans ce bois ecarte. 
Mais je ne la vois point encore.

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Go to the general single-text view

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
1. Recitative
Language: English 
Those places were already vibrant with luminescence.
For a long time I watched the rising morning sun;
The charming object of my desire
Should have been in this wood even before her.
But she has not arrived yet.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2008 by Linda Godry, (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: 

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2008-06-02
Line count: 5
Word count: 38

Translation © by Linda Godry
2. Air Gai
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Ce n'est plus le poids de ma chaine 
qui me fait pousser des soupirs. 
La seule attente des plaisirs 
fait a present toute ma peine! 

Attends-tu pour payer ma flamme, 
Amour. Que je sois plus epris? 
Tu connais l'ardeur de mon âme, 
En peux-tu retarder le prix?

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Go to the general single-text view

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
2. Lively song
Language: English 
It is not the weight of my chains
That makes me sigh mournfully,
Just the expectation of pleasures
To come is paining me.

Do you yearn to fuel my fire,
Love? To make me love you even more?
You know the the fervence of my soul,
And still you can hold back fulfillment?

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2008 by Linda Godry, (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: 

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2008-06-02
Line count: 8
Word count: 53

Translation © by Linda Godry
3. Récitatif
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Les oiseaux d'alentour 
chantent dans ce bocage, 
et je connois à leur ramage 
que rien ne manque plus 
au bonheur de leurs feux. 
Ils goûtent avant moi 
les fruits de la constance; 
Peut-être mieux traités, 
sont-ils plus amoureux.

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Go to the general single-text view

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
3. Recitative
Language: English 
The birds all around
Are singing in that thicket,
And their singing tells me
That nothing troubles them
And diminishes their ardour.
Even before me they taste
The fruit of quiet resilience;
Perhaps they are better prepared,
For great love.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2008 by Linda Godry, (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: 

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2008-06-02
Line count: 9
Word count: 40

Translation © by Linda Godry
4. Air tendre
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Pourquoi leur envier leur juste recompense?
L'amour ne me fait point d'offense 
Quand il rend les amants heureux!  
Il songe a redoubler, par mon impatience, 
Le doux plaisir qui doit suivre mes voeux.

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Go to the general single-text view

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
4. Tender song
Language: English 
Why do I envy them, what's rightfully theirs?
I have no reason to sue for a love,
Which makes lovers happy!
Love intends to double, by rendering me impatient,
The sweet pleasures I so long for.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2008 by Linda Godry, (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: 

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2008-06-02
Line count: 5
Word count: 36

Translation © by Linda Godry
5. Récitatif
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Mais Corine parait, je vois enfin les charme
Qui vont dissiper mes alarmes.  
Allons tomber a ses genoux!
Oiseaux, de votre sort, je ne suis plus jaloux!

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Go to the general single-text view

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
5. Recitative
Language: English 
But Corine finally arrives in all her charms
And disperses all my worries.
Oh, Let us sink to our knees!
Oh, birds of all sorts, I am no longer jealous!

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2008 by Linda Godry, (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: 

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2008-06-02
Line count: 4
Word count: 30

Translation © by Linda Godry
6. Air léger
 (Sung text)
Language: French (Français) 
Tu te plais, enfant de Cythere. 
A faire acheter tes douceurs, 
L'amant que tu veux satisfaire.
N'est point exempt de tes rigueurs!

Pour etre heureux dans ton empire,
Il faut qu'il en coute des pleurs.
Plus unfidele amant soupire,
Mieux il connait le prix de tes faveurs.

Text Authorship:

  • by Anonymous / Unidentified Author

Go to the general single-text view

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author
6. Careless song
Language: English 
Doesn't it bother you, child of  Aphrodite
To make your lover, whom you claim to favour
pay for those very favours?
You seem to revel in your stern righteousness!

In order to be happy in your empire,
One needs to shed bitter tears.
As much as the unfaithful lover sighs,
He knows but too well the price to pay for your favours.

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2008 by Linda Godry, (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: 

Based on:

Go to the general single-text view


This text was added to the website: 2008-06-02
Line count: 8
Word count: 62

Translation © by Linda Godry