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Banalities
Translations © by Peter Low
Song Cycle by Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963)
View original-language texts alone: Banalités
Par les portes d'Orkenise Veut entrer un charretier. Par les portes d'Orkenise Veut sortir un va-nu-pieds. Et les gardes de la ville Courant sus au va-nu-pieds : « Qu'emportes-tu de la ville ?» « J'y laisse mon coeur entier. » Et les gardes de la ville Courant sus au charretier: « Qu'apportes-tu dans la ville ?» « Mon cœur pour me marier.» Que de cœurs dans Orkenise ! Les gardes riaient, riaient, Va-nu-pieds, la route est grise, L'amour grise, ô charretier. Les beaux gardes de la ville Tricotaient superbement ; Puis les portes de la ville Se fermèrent lentement.
Authorship:
- by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, no title, written 1908, appears in L'enchanteur pourrissant, in Onirocritique
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Peter Low) , "Song of Orkenise", copyright © 2001, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Through the gates of Orkenise a carter wants to enter. Through the gates of Orkenise a tramp wants to leave. And the sentries of the town, rush up to the tramp and ask: "What are you taking out of the town?" - "I'm leaving my whole heart behind." And the sentries of the town, rush up to the carter and ask: "What are you bringing into the town?" - "My heart: I'm getting married." What a lot of hearts in Orkenise! The sentries laughed and laughed. Oh tramp, the road is dreary; oh carter, love is heady. The handsome sentries of the town knitted superbly; Then the gates of the town slowly swung shut.
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2001 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, no title, written 1908, appears in L'enchanteur pourrissant, in Onirocritique
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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 114
Ma chambre a la forme d'une cage, Le soleil passe son bras par la fenêtre. Mais moi qui veux fumer pour faire des mirages J'allume au feu du jour ma cigarette. Je ne veux pas travailler - je veux fumer.
Authorship:
- by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "Hôtel", written 1914, appears in Banalités, first published 1914
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Peter Low) , "Hotel", copyright © 2001, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
First published in the revue "Lacerba", n°8, April 15, 1914
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
My room has the form of a cage. The sun reaches its arm in through the window. But I want to smoke and make shapes in the air, and so I light my cigarette on the sun's fire. I don't want to work, I want to smoke.
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2001 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "Hôtel", written 1914, appears in Banalités, first published 1914
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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 5
Word count: 47
Tant de tristesses plénières Prirent mon cœur aux fagnes désolées Quand las j'ai reposé dans les sapinières Le poids des kilomètres pendant que râlait le vent d'ouest. J'avais quitté le joli bois Les écureuils y sont restés Ma pipe essayait de faire des nuages Au ciel Qui restait pur obstinément. Je n'ai confié aucun secret sinon une chanson énigmatique Aux tourbières humides Les bruyères fleurant le miel Attiraient les abeilles Et mes pieds endoloris Foulaient les myrtilles et les airelles Tendrement mariée Nord Nord La vie s'y tord En arbres forts Et tors. La vie y mord La mort À belles dents Quand bruit le vent
Authorship:
- by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "Fagnes de Wallonie", written 1915, appears in Il y a, Paris, Éd. Messein, first published 1925
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Peter Low) , "Walloon moorlands", copyright © 2001, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
So much deep sadness seized my heart on the desolate moors when I sat down weary among the firs, unloading the weight of the kilometres while the west wind growled. I had left the pretty woods. The squirrels stayed there. My pipe tried to make clouds of smoke in the sky which stubbornly stayed blue. I murmured no secret except an enigmatic song which I confided to the peat bog. Smelling of honey, the heather was attracting the bees, and my aching feet trod bilberries and whortleberries. Tenderly she is married North! North! There life twists in trees that are strong and gnarled. There life bites bitter death with greedy teeth, when the wind howls.
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2001 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "Fagnes de Wallonie", written 1915, appears in Il y a, Paris, Éd. Messein, first published 1925
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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 26
Word count: 120
Ah ! la charmante chose Quitter un pays morose Pour Paris Paris joli Qu'un jour dût créer l'Amour.
Authorship:
- by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "Voyage à Paris", written 1906
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Peter Low) , "Going to Paris", copyright © 2001, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Ah, how delightful it is to leave a dismal place and head for Paris! Beautiful Paris, which one day Love had to create!
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2001 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "Voyage à Paris", written 1906
Go to the single-text view
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 5
Word count: 23
Notre amour est réglé par les calmes étoiles Or nous savons qu'en nous beaucoup d'hommes respirent Qui vinrent de trés loin et sont un sous nos fronts C'est la chanson des rêveurs Qui s'étaient arraché le coeur Et le portaient dans la main droite ... Souviens-t'en cher orgueil de tous ces souvenirs Des marins qui chantaient comme des conquérants. Des gouffres de Thulé, des tendres cieux d'Ophir Des malades maudits, de ceux qui fuient leur ombre Et du retour joyeux des heureux émigrants. De ce coeur il coulait du sang Et le rêveur allait pensant À sa blessure délicate ... Tu ne briseras pas la chaîne de ces causes... ...Et douloureuse et nous disait: ...Qui sont les effets d'autres causes Mon pauvre coeur, mon coeur brisé Pareil au coeur de tous les hommes... Voici nos mains que la vie fit esclaves ...Est mort d'amour ou c'est tout comme Est mort d'amour et le voici. Ainsi vont toutes choses Arrachez donc le vôtre aussi! Et rien ne sera libre jusq'à la fin des temps Laissons tout aux morts Et cachons nos sanglots
Authorship:
- by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "Sanglots", written 1917, appears in Il y a, no. 5, first published 1917
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Peter Low) , "Sobs", copyright © 2001, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
First published in the revue Nord-Sud no. 4-5, June-July 1917, and then in 1925 in Il y a, Paris, Éd. Messein.
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
Human love is ruled by the calm stars. We know that within us many people breathe who came from afar and are united behind our brows. This is the song of that dreamer who had torn out his heart and was carrying it in his right hand... Remember, oh dear pride, all those memories: the sailors who sang like conquerors, the chasms of Thule, the tender skies of Ophir, the accursed sick, the ones who flee their own shadows, and the joyful return of the happy emigrants. Blood was flowing from that heart; and the dreamer went on thinking of his wound which was delicate ... You will not break the chain of those causes... ...and painful; and he kept saying to us: ...which are the effects of other causes. "My poor heart, my heart which is broken like the hearts of all men... Look, here are our hands which life enslaved. "...has died of love or so it seems, has died of love and here it is. That is the way of all things. "So tear your hearts out too!" And nothing will be free until the end of time. Let us leave everything to the dead, and let us hide our sobbing.
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2001 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: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Wilhelm Albert Włodzimierz Apolinary Kostrowicki (1880 - 1918), as Guillaume Apollinaire, "Sanglots", written 1917, appears in Il y a, no. 5, first published 1917
Go to the single-text view
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 27
Word count: 205