by Édouard Jules Henri Pailleron (1834 - 1899)
Translation © by Emily Ezust

C'était en avril, un dimanche
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG
C'était en avril, un dimanche,
Oui, le dimanche ! -- 
J'étais heureux...
Vous aviez une robe blanche
Et deux gentils brins de pervenche,
Oui, de pervenche,
Dans les cheveux.

Nous étions assis sur la mousse,
Oui, sur la mousse,
Et sans parler, 
Nous regardions l'herbe qui pousse, 
La la feuille verte et l'ombre douce, 
Oui, l'ombre douce,
Et l'eau couler.

Un oiseau chantait sur la branche,
Oui, sur la branche,
Puis il s'est tu. 
J'ai pris dans ma main ta main blanche...
C'était en avril, un dimanche,
Oui, le dimanche... 
T'en souviens-tu ?

Available sung texts: (what is this?)

•   C. Chaminade •   S. Rachmaninov •   M. de Rothschild 

C. Chaminade sets stanza 1

About the headline (FAQ)

View text with all available footnotes

Confirmed with Revue des Deux Mondes, 2e période, tome 49, 1864, page 751.


Text Authorship:

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Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor] , Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2008-06-11
Line count: 21
Word count: 97

It was in April, a Sunday
NOTE: the footnotes have been removed from this text; return to general view
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
It was in April, a Sunday,
Yes, Sunday;
I was happy...
You wore a white dress
And two sweet sprigs of periwinkle.
Yes, of periwinkle,
In your hair.

We sat upon the moss
Yes, on the moss;
And without speaking 
We looked at the grass that was growing, 
The green leaves and the gentle shade, 
Yes, the gentle shade,
And the flowing water.

A bird sang upon the branch,
Yes, upon a branch.
Then it fell silent.
I took in my hand your white hand...
It was in April, a Sunday,
Yes, Sunday...
Do you remember?

About the headline (FAQ)

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Translations of titles
"Chanson du printemps" = "Song of spring"
"T'en souviens-tu ?" = "Do you remember?"
"C'était en avril" = "It was in April"
"Chanson" = "Song"


Text Authorship:

  • Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2025 by Emily Ezust

    Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:

    Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
    from the LiederNet Archive

    For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.


Based on:

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This text was added to the website: 2017-01-19
Line count: 21
Word count: 103