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by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)
Translation by Jean-François Ducis (1733 - 1816)

Romance du Saule
 (Sung text for setting by J. Tiersot)
 See original
Language: French (Français)  after the English 
Au pied d'un saule assise tristement, 
Voyant couler le ruisseau qui murmure, 
La belle Isaure, en pleurant son injure, 
Croyait ainsi parler à son amant. 
Chantez le saule et sa douce verdure. 

 ... 

Comme une fleur, je n'eus que deux instans : 
T'aimer... mourir. Hélas ! mon ame est pure. 
On t'a trompé ; tu verras l'imposture ; 
Tu la verras ; il ne sera plus temps. 
Chantez le saule et sa douce verdure. 

Mais le jour baisse, et l'air s'est épaissi ; 
J'entends crier l'oiseau de triste augure ; 
Ces verts rameaux penchent leur chevelure ; 
Ce saule pleure ; et moi je pleure aussi. 
Chantez le saule et sa douce verdure. 

On dit qu'alors Isaure s'arrêta ; 
Tout resta mort, muet dans la nature ; 
Le vent, sans bruit ; le ruisseau, sans murmure. 
Jamais depuis Isaure ne chanta. 
Chantez le saule et sa douce verdure. 

 ... 

Composition:

    Set to music by Julien Tiersot (1857 - 1936), "Romance du Saule", stanzas 1,9-11 [ medium voice and piano ], from Chants de la vieille France: 20 mélodies et chansons du XIIIè au XVIIIè siècles, no. 20, Éd. 'Au Ménestrel' Heugel ; after a melody by André Ernest Modeste Grétry (1741-1813)

Text Authorship:

  • by Jean-François Ducis (1733 - 1816), "Romance du saule" [an adaptation]

Based on:

  • a text in English by William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616), appears in The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice, Act IV scene 3 [an adaptation]
    • Go to the text page.

Based on:

  • a text in Middle English from Volkslieder (Folksongs) , "Willow song", first published 1583
    • Go to the text page.

See other settings of this text.


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2025-08-15
Line count: 60
Word count: 416

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