Since here on earth each soul

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by Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885)

Translation © by Peter Low

Rêverie

(Sung text for setting by C. Saint-Saëns)

See original

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: CAT ENG ENG GER SPA

Puisqu'ici-bas toute âme
Donne à quelqu'un
Sa musique, sa flamme,
Ou son parfum ;

Puisqu'ici-bas chaque chose
Donne toujours
Son épine ou sa rose
A ses amours ;

 ... 

Puisque l'air à la branche
Donne l'oiseau ;
Que l'aube à la pervenche
Donne un peu d'eau ;

Puisque, lorsqu'elle arrive
S'y reposer,
L'onde amère à la rive
Donne un baiser ;

Je te donne, à cette heure,
Penché sur toi,
La chose la meilleure
Que j'ai en moi !

Reçois donc ma pensée,
Triste d'ailleurs,
Qui, comme une rosée,
T'arrive en pleurs !

Reçois mes voeux sans nombre,
O mes amours !
Reçois la flamme ou l'ombre
De tous mes jours !

Mes transports pleins d'ivresses,
Pur de soupçons,
Et toutes les caresses
De mes chansons !

Mon esprit qui sans voile
Vogue au hazard,
Et qui n'a pour étoile
Que ton regard !

 ... 

Reçois, mon bien céleste,
O ma beauté,
Mon cœur, dont rien ne reste,
L'amour ôté !

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,2,4-10,12 of the original text.

Composition:

Charles Camille Saint-Saëns

Text Authorship:

by Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885), no title, written 1836, appears in Les voix intérieures, no. 11, first published 1837

See other settings of this text.

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2023, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Faith J. Cormier) , "As each soul here below", copyright © 2000, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English [singable] (Peter Low) , copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) (Dr Huaixing Wang) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) [singable] (Angelo Zanardini) , "Dolce pensier"
SPA Spanish (Español) (Alberto Bonati) , "Ya que aquí abajo toda alma", copyright © 2007, (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: 48
Word count: 179

Since here on earth each soul

(Sung text translation for setting by C. Saint-Saëns)

See original

Language: English after the French (Français)

Since here on earth each soul
gives to another one
its music, its flame,
or its perfume;

since here on earth each thing
always gives
its thorn or its rose
to its beloved;

 ... 

since to the branch
the air gives the bird,
since to periwinkles
the dawn gives drops of dew;

and since the ocean wave
when it comes to rest
gives a kiss
to the shore;

I give you now,
as I lean over you,
the very best thing
that I have inside me!

So accept my thought
(a sad one, as it happens)
which like the dew
reaches you as teardrops.

Accept my countless wishful words,
oh my beloved!
Accept the flame or shadow
of all my days!

Accept my passionate raptures,
free of all suspicion,
and all the caresses
of my songs;

and my mind which travels the seas,
at random with no sail,
and follows no star
except your eyes;

 ... 

Accept, oh my beauty,
my heavenly treasure,
this my heart which would be nothing
if love were removed!

About the headline (FAQ)

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,2,4-10,12 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

Singable translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2020 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 Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885), no title, written 1836, appears in Les voix intérieures, no. 11, first published 1837
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This text was added to the website: 2020-03-11
Line count: 48
Word count: 210