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Je ne songeais pas à Rose ;
Rose au bois vint avec moi ;
Nous parlions de quelque chose,
Mais je ne sais plus de quoi.
...
Une eau courait, fraîche et creuse,
Sur les mousses de velours ;
Et la nature amoureuse
Dormait dans les grands bois sourds.
Rose défit sa chaussure,
Et mit, d'un air ingénu,
Son petit pied dans l'eau pure ;
Je ne vis pas son pied nu.
Je ne savais que lui dire ;
Je la suivais dans les bois,
La voyant parfois sourire
Et soupirer quelquefois.
Je ne vis qu'elle était belle
Qu'en sortant des grands bois sourds.
« Soit, n'y pensons plus !» dit-elle.
Depuis j'y pense toujours.
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,6-9 of the original text.
Composition:
- Set to music by Frédéric d'Erlanger, Baron (1868 - 1943), "Vieille chanson du jeune temps", published 1895, stanzas 1,6-9 [ voice and piano ], from Album of Six Songs, no. 2, London: Willcocks & Co., also set in English
Text Authorship:
- by Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885), "Vieille chanson du jeune temps", written 1831, appears in Les Contemplations, in 1. Livre premier -- Aurore, no. 19
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Amy Pfrimmer) , copyright © 2023, (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: 36
Word count: 192
I was not thinking of Rose;
Rose came with me into the woods;
We were talking about something,
but I do not know what.
...
A stream ran, cool and hollow,
on velvet moss;
And amorous nature slept
in the great silent woods.
Rose unfastened her shoe,
and put, with a simple air,
Her little foot in the pure water;
I did not see her bare foot.
I did not know what to say to her;
I followed her in the woods,
She smiled from time to time
and sometimes sighed.
I only saw that she was beautiful only
when leaving the great silent forest.
"So, let us not think about it anymore!" she said.
Since then, I always think about it.
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,6-9 of the original text.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2023 by Amy Pfrimmer, (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.
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885), "Vieille chanson du jeune temps", written 1831, appears in Les Contemplations, in 1. Livre premier -- Aurore, no. 19
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This text was added to the website: 2023-06-05
Line count: 36
Word count: 213