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by Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885)

La Captive
 (Sung text for setting by J. Weckerlin)
 See original
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG SPA
Si je n'étais captive,
J'aimerais ce pays,
Et cette mer plaintive,
Et ces champs de maïs,
Et ces astres sans nombre,
Si le long du mur sombre
N'étincelait dans l'ombre
Le sabre des spahis.

 ... 

Pourtant j'aime une rive
Où jamais des hivers
Le souffle froid n'arrive
Par les vitraux ouverts.
L'été, la pluie est chaude,
L'insecte verte qui rôde
Luit, vivant émeraude,
Sous les brins d'herbe verts.

 ... 

Mais surtout, quand la brise
Me touche en voltigeant,
La nuit, j'aime être assise,
Être assise en songeant,
L'œil sur la mer profonde,
Tandis que, pâle et blonde,
La lune ouvre dans l'onde
Son éventail d'argent.

Composition:

    Set to music by Jean-Baptiste Théodore Weckerlin (1821 - 1910), "La Captive", published [1873], stanzas 1,3,9 [ medium voice and piano ], from L'Inde, Ode-symphonie en deux parties, no. 2, Paris, Éd. 'Au Ménestrel' Heugel et Cie.

Text Authorship:

  • by Victor Hugo (1802 - 1885), "La captive", appears in Les Orientales, no. 9

See other settings of this text.

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

  • ENG English (Korin Kormick) , "The captive", copyright © 2003, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
  • SPA Spanish (Español) (Pablo Sabat) , copyright © 2019, (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: 72
Word count: 301

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