by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)
Translation © by David Wyatt

Chanson
 (Sung text for setting by R. Escher)
 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.

Il répand de toutes parts
     Feux et dards
  Et dompte sous sa puissance
  Hommes, bestes et oiseaux,
     Et les eaux
  Lui rendent obeïssance.

 ... 

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.

Quand je vois tant de couleurs
     Et de fleurs
  Qui émaillent un rivage,
  Je pense voir le beau teint
     Qui est peint
  Si vermeil en son visage.

Quand je vois les grand rameaux
     Des ormeaux
  Qui sont lacés de lierre,
  Je pense être pris és lacs
     De ses bras,
  Et que mon col elle serre.

 ... 

Quand je vois dans un jardin,
     Au matin,
  S'éclore une fleur nouvelle,
  J'accompare le bouton
     Au teton
  De son beau sein qui pommelle.

 ... 

Quand je sens parmi les prés
     Diaprés
  Les fleurs dont la terre est pleine,
  Lors je fais croire à mes sens
     Que je sens 
  La douceur de son haleine.

 ... 

Je voudrais au bruit de l'eau
     D'un ruisseau,
  Déplier ses tresses blondes,
  Frisant en autant de noeuds
     Ses cheveux.
  Que je verrais friser d'ondes.

Je voudrois, pour la tenir,
     Devenir
  Dieu de ces forêts désertes,
  La baisant autant de fois
     Qu'en un bois
  Il y a de feuilles vertes.

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

Au moins lève un peu tes yeux
     Gracieux,
  Et vois ces deux colombelles,
  Qui font naturellement,
     Doucement
  L'amour du bec et des ailes.

Et nous, sous ombre d'honneur,
     Le bonheur
  Trahissons par une crainte:
  Les oiseaux sont plus heureux
     Amoureux,
  Qui font l'amour sans contrainte.

Toutefois ne perdons pas
     Nos ébats
  Pour ces lois tant rigoureuses;
  Mais, si tu m'en crois, vivons,
     Et suivons
  Les colombes amoureuses.

Pour effacer mon émoi,
     Baise-moi,
  Rebaise-moi, ma Déesse!
  Ne laissons passer en vain
     Si soudain
  Les ans de notre jeunesse.

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-3,7-9,13,15,17-23 of the original text.

Composition:

Text Authorship:

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 R. Escher)
 See original
Language: English  after the French (Français) 
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.

He looses in all directions 
  His fiery darts
And overcomes with his power
Men, beasts and birds,
  And even the waters
Give him obedience.

 ... 

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.

When I see so many colours
  And flowers
Studding a riverbank,
I imagine I see the fair colour
  Which paints
Her complexion so pink.

When I see the great branches
  Of the elms
Which are laced with ivy,
I imagine being taken into the lakes
  Of her arms
And her supporting my neck.

 ... 

When I see in a garden
  In the morning
A new flower opening,
I compare its bud
  With the nipple
Of her fair breast, swelling.

 ... 

When I spy the meadows
  Dotted
With the flowers which fill the earth,
Ah then I make my senses believe
  That I feel
The softness of her breath.

 ... 

I'd like, to the sound of the water
  Of some stream
To untie her blonde tresses
Curling her hair into
  So many knots
That I'd see waves curling.

I'd like, so I could hold her,
  To become
God of these empty forests,
Kissing her as many times
  As there are
Green leaves in a wood.

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

At least lift your gracious eyes
  A little
And see these two doves
Who quite naturally
  And sweetly
Make love with beak and wings.

And we, under the cloud of honour
  Betray
Our happiness through fear:
The birds are luckier
  Lovers
Who make love without constraint.

Still, let us not give up
  Our frolics
For these too restrictive laws;
But if you trust me, let's live
  Let's copy
The amorous doves.

To sweep away my anguish
Kiss me
Kiss me again, my goddess!
Don't let them go by empty
And quickly,
These years of our youth!

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-3,7-9,13,15,17-23 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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This text was added to the website: 2012-07-25
Line count: 138
Word count: 598