by
Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)
Plusieurs de leurs corps dénués
Language: French (Français)
Plusieurs de leurs corps dénués.
Se sont vus en diverse terre
Miraculeusement mués
L'un en serpent et l'autre en pierre,
L'un en fleur, l'autre en arbrisseau
L'un en loup, l'autre en colombelle;
L'un se vit changer en ruisseau:
Et l'autre devint arondelle.
Mais je voudrais être miroir,
A fin que toujours tu me visses;
Chemise je voudrais me voir,
Afin que souvent tu me prisses.
Volontiers eau je deviendrais,
Afin que ton corps je lavasse;
Être du parfum je voudrais,
Afin que je te parfumasse.
Je voudrais être le ruban
qui serre ta belle poitrine;
Je voudrais être le carcan
qui orne ta gorge ivoirine.
Je voudrais être tout autour
Le corail qui tes lèvres touche
Afin de baiser nuit et jour
Tes belles lèvres et ta bouche.
Available sung texts: (what is this?)
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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):
- by Darius Milhaud (1892 - 1974), "Plusieurs de leurs corps dénués", op. 409 no. 8 (1964), published 1966 [ soprano and piano ], from L'amour chante, no. 8, Bryn Mawr, Theodore Presser and Co. [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Guido Spinetti (1850 - 1931), "Plusieurs de leurs corps desnuez", published 1897 [ medium voice and piano ], from Treize poésies de Ronsard, mises en musique par Guido Spinetti, et ornées par Lucien Métivet de vignettes modernes dans le goût ancien, préface de Francisque Sarcey, no. 8, Paris, Éd. Flammarion [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , "Many, stripped of their mortal bodies", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [
Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 129
Many, stripped of their mortal bodies
Language: English after the French (Français)
Many a lover, stripped of his mortal body,
Has been seen in varied lands
Changed miraculously --
One into a serpent, another into stone,
One to a flower, another a bush,
One into a wolf, another a dove;
One is seen to change into a river,
Another becomes a swallow.
But I'd rather be a mirror,
So long as you would always look at me;
Or I'd wish to be a blouse,
So long as you often wore me.
I'd willingly become water
If I could wash your body;
Or I'd wish to be perfume
If I could perfume you.
I'd wish to be the ribbon
Which is tied round your waist,
I'd wish to be the collar
Which ornaments your ivory throat.
I'd wish to be transformed entirely to
The coral which your lips wear,
So that night and day I could kiss
Your fair lips and your mouth.
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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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Based on:
This text was added to the website: 2012-07-25
Line count: 24
Word count: 151
