Golden Barque | In a barque from the Orient

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by Charles van Lerberghe (1861 - 1907)

Translation © by Grant Hicks

Barque d'or

(Sung text for setting by H. Dutilleux)

See original

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Dans une barque d'Orient
S'en revenaient trois jeunes filles,
Trois jeunes filles d'Orient
S'en revenaient en barque d'or.

 ... 

Une qui était brune,
Et qui tenait la voile en main
Et dont les pieds étaient ailés,
Nous rapportait des gestes d'ange,
En son immobilité.

Une qui était noire
Et qui tenait le gouvernail,
Sur ses lèvres aux roses essences
Nous rapportait d'étranges histoires,
Dans le silence.

Dans une barque d'Orient
S'en revenaient trois jeunes filles,
Trois jeunes filles d'Orient
S'en revenaient en barque d'or.

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,3,2,1 of the original text.

Published originally under the title Chanson, which in later appearances (for example, in Entrevisions, Bruxelles, Éd. Lacomblez, 1898) was changed to Barque d'or.

Composition:

Henri Dutilleux

Text Authorship:

by Charles van Lerberghe (1861 - 1907), title 1: "Barque d'or", title 2: "Chanson", written 1892, appears in Entrevisions, in 1. Jeux et songes, no. 16, first published 1892

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English (Grant Hicks) , "Golden Barque", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

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

This text was added to the website: 2011-03-14
Line count: 20
Word count: 91

Golden Barque

(Sung text translation for setting by H. Dutilleux)

See original

Language: English after the French (Français)

Add this translation to your Reprint Basket | Add tr by H. Dutilleux

In a barque from the Orient 
Were returning three young girls,
Three young girls from the Orient 
Were returning in a golden barque.

 ... 

One whose hair was brown,
And who held the sail in her hand
And whose feet bore wings,
Brought us back angelic gestures
In her immobility.

One whose hair was black
And whose hand was on the tiller,
Upon her lips with rosy essences
Brought us back strange stories 
Amid silence.

In a barque from the Orient 
Were returning three young girls,
Three young girls from the Orient 
Were returning in a golden barque.

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,3,2,1 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2025 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.

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Charles van Lerberghe (1861 - 1907), title 1: "Barque d'or", title 2: "Chanson", written 1892, appears in Entrevisions, in 1. Jeux et songes, no. 16, first published 1892
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This text was added to the website: 2025-11-27
Line count: 20
Word count: 104