When I see the fair Springtime | When I see the fair Springtime

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by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)

Translation © by David Wyatt

Quand ce beau printemps

(Sung text for setting by P. Eben)

See original

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Quand ce beau Printemps je vois,
     J'aperçois
  Rajeunir la terre et l'onde
  Et me semble que le jour,
     Et l'Amour,
  Comme enfants naissent au monde.

Le jour qui plus beau se fait,
     Nous refait
  Plus belle et verte la terre,
  Et Amour armé de traits
     Et d'attraits,
  En nos coeurs nous fait la guerre.

 ... 

Je sens en ce mois si beau
     Le flambeau
  D'Amour qui m'échauffe l'âme,
  Y voyant de tous côtés
     Les beautés
  Qu'il emprunte de ma Dame.

 ... 

Hà ! maîtresse, mon souci,
     Viens ici,
  Viens contempler la verdure !
  Les fleurs de mon amitié
     Ont pitié,
  Et seule tu n'en as cure.

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2,7,19 of the original text.

Composition:

Petr Eben

Písně k loutně

Text Authorship:

by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), "Chanson"

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English (David Wyatt) , "When I see the fair Springtime", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Jeroen Scholten , Malcolm Wren [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 138
Word count: 575

When I see the fair Springtime

(Sung text translation for setting by P. Eben)

See original

Language: English after the French (Français)

Add this translation to the Basket | Add tr by G. Auric | Add tr by P. Eben | Add tr by R. Escher | Add tr by L. Gouvy

When I see the fair Springtime
  I recognise
Earth and sea renewing their youth
And it seems to me that Day
  And Love
Like children are born into the world. 

Day which makes itself lovelier,
  Makes the earth again
Lovelier and greener for us,
And Love armed with charms
  And harms
Makes war on us in our hearts.

 ... 

In this month so lovely, I feel
  The flame
Of Love warming my soul,
Seeing there on all sides
  The beauties
Which it has borrowed from my Lady.

 ... 

Ah, my mistress, my desire,
  Come here
Come and consider the greensward!
The flowers take pity
  On my love
And only you care not.

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2,7,19 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2012 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), "Chanson"
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This text was added to the website: 2012-07-25
Line count: 138
Word count: 598