by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)
Translation © by David Wyatt

Dans le serein de sa jumelle flamme
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG
[Dans le serein]1 de sa jumelle flamme
Je vis Amour, qui son arc desbandoit,
Et sus mon cuoeur le brandon éspandoit,
Qui des plus froids les moëlles enflamme.

Puis çà puis là pres les yeulx de ma dame
Entre cent fleurs un retz d'or me tendoit,
Qui tout crespu blondement descendoit
A flotz ondez pour enlasser mon ame.

Qu'eussay-je faict l'Archer estoit si doulx,
Si doulx son feu, si doulx l'or de ses noudz,
Qu'en leurs filetz encore je m'oublie:

Mais cest oubli ne me tourmente point,
Tant doulcement le doulx Archer me poingt,
Le feu me brusle, et l'or crespe me lie.

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Another version of Ronsard's poem has "Entre les rais"
Modernized spelling:
Dans le serein de sa jumelle flamme
Je vis Amour, qui son arc débandait,
Et sur mon cœur le brandon épandait,
Qui des plus froids les moelles enflamme.

Puis çà puis là près les yeux de ma dame
Entre cent fleurs un rets d'or me tendait,
Qui tout crépu blondement descendait
A flots ondés pour enlacer mon âme.

Qu'eussé-je fait ? l'Archer était si doux,
Si doux son feu, si doux l'or de ses nœuds,
Qu'en leurs filets encore je m'oublie :

Mais cet oubli ne me tourmente point,
Tant doucement le doux Archer me point,
Le feu me brûle, et l'or crêpe me lie.

Text Authorship:

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):

  • ENG English (David Wyatt) , "In the serenity of her twin flashing eyes", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2010-10-28
Line count: 14
Word count: 103

In the serenity of her twin flashing eyes
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
[In the serenity]1 of her twin flashing eyes
I see Love2, who has set aside his bow
And over my heart waved a fire brand
Which would warm the marrow of the coldest.

First on one side then the other by my lady's eyes
Among many flowers he spreads for me a net of gold 
Which descends blond and curling
In flowing waves to bind my soul.

What could I have done, the Archer2 was so gentle
So gentle his fire, so gentle the gold of his knots,
That, though still in their net, I forget myself.

But this forgetfulness doesn't trouble me at all
So gently does the gentle Archer strike me,
The fire burn me and the curled gold bind me.

View original text (without footnotes)
1 Another version of Ronsard could be translated "Among the rays"
2 i.e. Cupid

Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2012 by David Wyatt, (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: 2012-06-06
Line count: 14
Word count: 123