by Rainer Maria Rilke (1875 - 1926)

Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  CAT ENG ENG GER
Un cygne avance sur l'eau 
tout entouré de lui-même, 
comme un glissant tableau;
ainsi à certains instants
un être que l'on aime 
est tout un espace mouvant.

Il se rapproche, doublé, 
comme ce cygne qui nage,
sur notre âme troublée...
qui à cet être ajoute 
la tremblante image
de bonheur et de doute.

Composition:

    Set to music by Léon Orthel (1905 - 1985), "Un cygne avance sur l'eau", op. 61 (Sept mélodies) no. 1 (1972), published 1972 [ voice and piano ], Amsterdam, Ed. Donemus

Text Authorship:

See other settings of this text.

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

  • CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Faith J. Cormier) , "A swan moves across the water", copyright © 2000, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • ENG English (Laura Prichard) , "A swan", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2005, (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: 12
Word count: 53