To sit together beside the passing stream

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by René-François Sully-Prudhomme (1839 - 1907)

Translation © by Peter Low

Au bord de l'eau

(Sung text for setting by P. Viardot)

See original

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: CAT ENG GER ITA SPA SPA SPA

S'asseoir tous deux au bord d'un flot qui passe,
  Le voir passer ;
Tous deux, s'il glisse un nuage en l'espace,
  Le voir glisser ;
À l'horizon, s'il fume un toit de chaume,
  Le voir fumer ;
Aux alentours si quelque fleur embaume,
  S'en embaumer ;
 ... 
Entendre au pied du saule où l'eau murmure
  L'eau murmurer ;
Ne pas sentir, tant que ce rêve dure,
  Le temps durer ;
Mais n'apportant de passion profonde
  Qu'à s'adorer,
Sans un souci des querelles du monde,
  Les ignorer ;
Et seuls, heureux devant tout ce qui passe,
  Sans se lasser,
Sentir l'amour, devant tout ce qui passe,
  Ne point passer !

Note: the text above is taken from lines 1-8,13-24 of the original text.

Composition:

Paul Viardot

Six mélodies, poésies de T. Gautier, M. Carré, Sully Prudhomme et M. Bouchor

Text Authorship:

by René-François Sully-Prudhomme (1839 - 1907), "Au bord de l'eau", written c1872, appears in Les vaines tendresses, no. 4, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Lemerre, first published 1878

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 (Peter Low) , no title, copyright © 2000, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) (Nele Gramß) , "Am Ufer", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Enrico Magnani) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
SPA Spanish (Español) (Mercedes Vivas) , "Al borde del agua", copyright © 2011, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
SPA Spanish (Español) (José Miguel Llata) , "Al borde del agua", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
SPA Spanish (Español) (Elisa Rapado) , "Al borde del agua", copyright © 2020, (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: 125

Beside the stream

(Sung text translation for setting by P. Viardot)

See original

Language: English after the French (Français)

 To sit together beside the passing stream
         and watch it pass;
 if a cloud glides by in the sky,
         together to watch it glide;
 if a thatched house sends up smoke on the horizon,
         to watch it smoke;
 if a flower spreads fragrance nearby,
         to take on its fragrance; 
 ... 
 under the willow where the water murmurs,
         to listen to it murmuring;
 for the time that this dream endures,
         not to feel its duration;
 but, having no deep passion
         except adoration for one another,
 without concern for the world's quarrels,
         to ignore them;
 and alone together, in the face of all wearying things,
         unwearyingly,
 to feel love (unlike all things that pass away)
         not passing away!

Note: the text above is taken from lines 1-8,13-24 of the original text.

Translation of titles
"Au bord de l'eau" = "Beside the stream"
"Au bord d'un flot qui passe" = "Beside the passing stream"
"Ceux qui aiment" = "Those who love"
"Tous deux" = "Both of them"

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2000 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 René-François Sully-Prudhomme (1839 - 1907), "Au bord de l'eau", written c1872, appears in Les vaines tendresses, no. 4, Paris, Éd. Alphonse Lemerre, first published 1878
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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 24
Word count: 142