I do not want anything

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by Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885)

Translation © by Amy Pfrimmer

Je ne veux pas autre chose

(Sung text for setting by C. Widor)

See original

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG ENG

 ... 

Je ne veux pas d'autres choses 
Que ton sourire et ta voix, 
De l'air, de l'ombre et des roses, 
Et des rayons dans les bois ! 

Je ne veux, moi qui me voile 
Dans la joie ou la douleur, 
Que ton regard, mon étoile ! 
Que ton haleine, ô ma fleur ! 

Sous ta paupière vermeille 
Qu'inonde un céleste jour, 
Tout un univers sommeille. 
Je n'y cherche que l'amour ! 

 ... 

Ange aux yeux pleins d'étincelles, 
Femme aux jours de pleurs noyés, 
Prends mon âme sur tes ailes, 
Laisse mon cœur à tes pieds !

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 4-6,13 of the original text.

Composition:

Charles Marie Jean Albert Widor

Quarante mélodies

Text Authorship:

by Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885), no title, appears in Les Rayons et les Ombres, no. 24, first published 1840

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English (Peter Low) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Amy Pfrimmer) , copyright © 2023, (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: 52
Word count: 265

I do not want anything

(Sung text translation for setting by C. Widor)

See original

Language: English after the French (Français)

 ... 

I do not want anything 
but your smile and your voice,
The air, shadows and roses, 
and sun rays in the woods!

I do not want, I who veil myself 
in joy or sorrow, 
I want only your gaze, my star, 
only your breath, oh my flower!

Under your vermillion eyelids 
overflowing from a heavenly day,
A whole universe slumbers. 
I seek only love!

 ... 

Angel with sparkling eyes, 
woman drowning days in tears,
Take my soul on your wings, 
leave my heart at your feet!

About the headline (FAQ)

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 4-6,13 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2023 by Amy Pfrimmer, (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 Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885), no title, appears in Les Rayons et les Ombres, no. 24, first published 1840
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This text was added to the website: 2023-06-05
Line count: 52
Word count: 86