Conoscete la tomba bianca

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by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872)

Translation © by Ferdinando Albeggiani

Au cimetière

(Sung text for setting by H. Berlioz)

See original

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: CAT DUT ENG ENG GER ITA SPA

Connaissez-vous la blanche tombe,
Où flotte avec un son plaintif
  L'ombre d'un if ?
Sur l'if une pâle colombe,
Triste et seule au soleil couchant,
  Chante son chant :

Un air maladivement tendre,
À la fois charmant et fatal,
  Qui vous fait mal,
Et qu'on voudrait toujours entendre ;
Un air, comme en soupire aux cieux
  L'ange amoureux. 

On dirait que l'âme éveillée
Pleure sous terre à l'unisson
  De la chanson,
Et du malheur d'être oubliée
Se plaint dans un roucoulement
  Bien doucement.

Sur les ailes de la musique
On sent lentement revenir
  Un souvenir;
Une ombre, une forme angélique,
Passe dans un rayon tremblant,
  En voile blanc.

Les belles-de-nuit demi-closes,
Jettent leur parfum faible et doux
  Autour de vous,
Et le fantôme aux molles poses
Murmure en vous tendant les bras:
  « Tu reviendras ? »

Oh! jamais plus, près de la tombe,
Je n'irai, quand descend le soir
  Au manteau noir,
Écouter la pâle colombe
Chanter sur la pointe de l'if
  Son chant plaintif !

Composition:

Hector Berlioz

Les Nuits d'Été

German (Deutsch)

Text Authorship:

by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872), "Lamento", appears in La Comédie de la Mort, first published 1838

See other settings of this text.

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
DUT Dutch (Nederlands) (Marike Lindhout) , "Lamento", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , "Lament", copyright ©
ENG English (Kyle Gee) , "Lament", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , copyright © 2009, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
SPA Spanish (Español) (Alberto Bonati) , copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website: 2003-10-20
Line count: 36
Word count: 164

Conoscete la tomba bianca

(Sung text translation for setting by H. Berlioz)

See original

Language: Italian (Italiano) after the French (Français)

Conoscete la tomba bianca,
Dove ondeggia in lamentoso pianto
l'ombra di un tasso?
Sul tasso una pallida colomba,
triste e sola, al sole del tramonto,
canta il suo canto:
 
Un aria di una tenerezza morbosa,
ad un tempo affascinante e fatale,
che fa male,
ma che si vorrebbe ascoltare sempre.
Un'aria come nel cielo ha sospirato
Un angelo innamorato.
 
Si direbbe che l'anima ridestata,
pianga sotto terra insieme
alla canzone,
E della sorte di essere abbandonata
Tubando si lamenti
In così dolci accenti.
 
Sulle ali della musica
Lentamente senti che affiora
Un'antica memoria.
Un'ombra, una angelica forma,
passa in una luce incerta
tutta di bianco vestita.
 
Le belle di notte, dischiuse a metà,
emanano un profumo debole e dolce
che intorno si diffonde,
e il fantasma con posa indolente
mormora, le braccia tendendo:
farai ritorno presto!
 
Oh! Mai più presso la tomba
Andrò, quando discende la sera
Con la mia veste nera,
Né ascolterò la pallida colomba,
cantare, sulla cima del tasso,
il suo lamentoso canto.

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Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2009 by Ferdinando Albeggiani, (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-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872), "Lamento", appears in La Comédie de la Mort, first published 1838
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This text was added to the website: 2009-05-04
Line count: 36
Word count: 166