Fête galante | Sylvandre, Lycas and Myrtil are there

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by Théodore Faullin de Banville (1823 - 1891)

Translation © by Peter Low

Fête galante

(Sung text for setting by C. Debussy)

See original

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Voilà Sylvandre et Lycas et Myrtil
Car c'est ce soir fête chez Cydalise.
Partout dans l'air court un parfum subtil,
Dans le grand parc où tout s'idéalise
Avec la rose Aminthe rivalise.
Philis, Eglé, qui suivent leurs amants,
Cherchent l'ombrage en mille endroits charmants.
Dans le soleil qui s'irrite et qui joue,
Luttant d'orgueil avec les diamants,
Sur le chemin, le Paon blanc fait la roue.

Composition:

Claude Achille Debussy

Text Authorship:

by Théodore Faullin de Banville (1823 - 1891), "Fête galante", appears in Les Cariatides, in Les Caprices - en dizains à la manière de Clément Marot, no. 3, first published 1842

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

ENG English (Peter Low) , "Fête galante", copyright © 2025, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: Auditorium du Louvre

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 10
Word count: 67

Fête galante

(Sung text translation for setting by C. Debussy)

See original

Language: English after the French (Français)

Sylvandre, Lycas and Myrtil are there,
for Cydalise hosts a party this evening.
A subtle perfume fills the air
in the great park where all is perfection.
Aminthe competes with the rose.
Philis and Eglé, following their lovers,
seek shade in a thousand charming spots.
And in the sun, which is both annoyed and playful, 
proudly vying with the diamonds,
there on the path, the white Peacock spreads his tail.

Translator's note: the title refers to a flirtatious outdoor party as seen in the 18th-century paintings of Watteau.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2025 by Peter Low, (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 Théodore Faullin de Banville (1823 - 1891), "Fête galante", appears in Les Cariatides, in Les Caprices - en dizains à la manière de Clément Marot, no. 3, first published 1842
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This text was added to the website: 2025-04-21
Line count: 10
Word count: 70