In Bohemia there was a Queen

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by Roland de Marès (1874 - 1955)

Translation © by Grant Hicks

Ballade de la reine morte d'aimer

(Sung text for setting by M. Ravel)

See original

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG ENG

En Bohême était une Reine,
Douce sœur du Roi de Thulé,
Belle entre toutes les Reines,
Reine par sa toute Beauté.

Le grand Trouvère de Bohême
Un soir triste d'automne roux
Lui murmura le vieux : je t'aime !... —
Âmes folles et cœurs si fous !...

Et la Très Belle toute blanche
Le doux Poète tant aima
Que sur l'heure son âme blanche
Vers les étoiles s'exhala...

Les grosses cloches de Bohême
Et les clochettes de Thulé
Chantèrent l'hosana suprême
De la Reine morte d'aimer...

Composition:

Maurice Ravel

Text Authorship:

by Roland de Marès (1874 - 1955), "Complainte de la Reine de Bohême", appears in Ariettes douloureuses, Paris, Leon Vanier, first published 1893

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

ENG English (Laura Stanfield Prichard) , copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Grant Hicks) , copyright © 2026, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Grant Hicks [Guest Editor] , François Le Roux [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 16
Word count: 84

Ballade of the queen who died of love

(Sung text translation for setting by M. Ravel)

See original

Language: English after the French (Français)

In Bohemia there was a Queen,
Sweet sister of the King of Thule,
Beautiful among all the Queens,
Queen by her total beauty.

The great Trouvère of Bohemia 
One sad evening in russet Autumn 
Murmured to her the age-old "I love you!" —
Foolish souls and hearts so foolish!

And the fairest Most Beautiful 
So loved the sweet Poet
That at once her pure soul
Was wafted towards the stars...

The large bells of Bohemia 
And the little bells of Thule 
Sang the last Hosanna
Of the Queen who died of love...

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2026 by Grant Hicks, (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:

a text in French (Français) by Roland de Marès (1874 - 1955), "Complainte de la Reine de Bohême", appears in Ariettes douloureuses, Paris, Leon Vanier, first published 1893
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2026-05-28
Line count: 16
Word count: 93