Clear of reason, a slave of madness | Clear of reason, a slave of madness

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by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)

Translation © by David Wyatt

Franc de raison

(Sung text for setting by G. Boni)

See original

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Franc de raison, esclave de fureur,
Je vay chassant une fere sauvage,
Or' sur un mont, or' le long d'un rivage,
Or' dans le bois de jeunesse et d'erreur.

J'ay pour ma laisse un long trait de malheur,
J'ay pour limier un violent courage,
J'ay pour mes chiens l'ardeur et le jeune âge,
Chagrin, despit, repentance et douleur..

Mais eux, voyant que plus elle  ...  chassée,
Loin,  ...  devant plus s'enfuit elancée,
Tournant sur moi leur rigoureux effort,

Comme mastins affamés de repaistre,
A longs morceaux se paissent de leur maistre,
Et sans mercy me traînent à la mort.

Early version.

Composition:

Guillaume Boni

Sonnets de Pierre de Ronsard mis en musique à 4 parties, I

Text Authorship:

by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), "Franc de raison, esclave de fureur"

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

ENG English (David Wyatt) , "Clear of reason, a slave of madness", copyright © 2015, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: David Wyatt

This text was added to the website: 2014-08-02
Line count: 14
Word count: 107

Clear of reason, a slave of madness

(Sung text translation for setting by G. Boni)

See original

Language: English after the French (Français)

Clear of reason, a slave of madness,
I chase and chase a savage Beast
Now over hills, now along riverbanks,
Now in the woods of youth and error.

I have as my leash a long line of misfortunes,
I have as my limed twig a violent courage,
I have as my dogs passion and youth,
Grief, vexation, repentance and sadness.

But when they see that the more she is pursued,
The further before them, far far off she bounds in flight
Turning on me their strenuous efforts,

Like famished mastiffs eager to eat
They feast themselves with great bites of their master,
And without mercy drag me to my death.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2015 by David Wyatt, (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 Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), "Franc de raison, esclave de fureur"
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This text was added to the website: 2015-02-26
Line count: 14
Word count: 115