Le cygne argenté | Le cygne argenté, qui, vivant, n'a eu aucune note

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by Anonymous / Unidentified Author and possibly by Orlando Gibbons (1583 - 1625) and sometimes misattributed to Thomas Morley (1557 - 1602)

Translation © by Dwain Richardson

The silver swan

(Sung text for setting by G. Baxter)

See base text

Language: English

Our translations: FRE GER

The silver swan who, living, had no note,
when death approached, unlocked her silent throat.

Leaning her breast against the reedy shore,
thus sung her first and last, and sung no more:

"Farewell all joys, O death come close my eyes.
More geese than swans now live, more fools than wise."

Composition:

Garth Baxter

Three madrigals

Text Authorship:

by Anonymous / Unidentified Author, "The silver swan", first published 1612
possibly by Orlando Gibbons (1583 - 1625), "The silver swan", first published 1612
sometimes misattributed to Thomas Morley (1557 - 1602)

See other settings of this text.

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

FRE French (Français) (Dwain Richardson) , "Le cygne argenté", copyright © 2003, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) (Martin Stock) , "Der Silberschwan", copyright © 2001, (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: 6
Word count: 52

Le cygne argenté

(Sung text translation for setting by G. Baxter)

See original

Language: French (Français) after the English

Le cygne argenté, qui, vivant, n'a eu aucune note
Quand la mort s'est approchée et a ouvert sa gorge silencieuse.

A la rive couverte de roseaux, elle a penché son sein et a chanté sa première
et dernière note, puis elle n'a plus chanté: 

Adieu, toutes les joies, Ô, la mort, ferme mes yeux;
Vivent plus d'oies que de cygnes, plus de fous que de sages.

Text Authorship:

Translation from English to French (Français) copyright © 2003 by Dwain Richardson, (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 English by Anonymous/Unidentified Artist , "The silver swan", first published 1612 and possibly by Orlando Gibbons (1583 - 1625) and misattributed to Thomas Morley (1557 - 1602)
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This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 6
Word count: 66