La tristesse des menuets Fait chanter mes désirs muets Et je pleure, D'entendre frémir cette voix Qui vient de si loin, d'autrefois, Et qui pleure. Chansons frêles du clavecin, Notes grêles, fuyant essaim Qui s'efface, Vous êtes un pastel d'antan Qui s'anime, rit un instant, Puis, s'efface. Ô chants troublés de pleurs secrets, Chagrins qu'on ignore, les vrais, Pudeur tendre, Sanglots que l'on cache, au départ Et qui n'osent s'avouer, par Orgueil tendre. Ah ! comme vous broyez les cœrs De vos airs charmants et moqueurs Et si tristes ! Menuets à peine entendus, Sanglots légers, rires fondus, Baisers tristes !
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Composition:
- Set to music by Charles Koechlin (1867 - 1950), "Menuet", op. 5 (Cinq mélodies) no. 4 (1893-97) [ voice and piano ]
Text Authorship:
- by Fernand Gregh (1873 - 1960), "Menuet", written 1892, appears in La Maison de l'Enfance, in 9. Musique, no. 3, Paris, Éd. Calmann-Lévy, first published 1897
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Adam Ewing) , "Minuet", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Adam Ewing
This text was added to the website: 2012-04-02
Line count: 24
Word count: 102