by Édouard Jules Henri Pailleron (1834 - 1899)
Translation by James Freeman Clarke (1810 - 1888)

C'était en avril, un dimanche
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG
C'était en avril, un dimanche,
Oui, [le]1 dimanche ! -- 
J'étais heureux...
Vous aviez une [robe]2 blanche
Et deux gentils brins de pervenche,
Oui, de pervenche,
Dans [les cheveux]3.

Nous étions assis sur la mousse,
Oui, sur la mousse,
Et sans parler, 
Nous regardions l'herbe qui pousse, 
[La]4 la feuille verte et l'ombre douce, 
Oui, l'ombre douce,
Et l'eau couler.

Un oiseau chantait sur [la]5 branche,
Oui, sur la branche,
Puis il s'est tu. 
J'ai pris dans ma main ta main blanche...
C'était en avril, un dimanche,
Oui, [le]1 dimanche... 
T'en souviens-tu ?

C. Chaminade sets stanza 1

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Confirmed with Revue des Deux Mondes, 2e période, tome 49, 1864, page 751.

1 Chaminade, Rachmaninov, Rothschild: "un"
2 Rachmaninov, Rothschild: "jolie robe"
3 Rachmaninov, Rothschild: "vos cheveux brins de pervenche"
4 Rachmaninov, Rothschild: "Et la"
5 Rachmaninov, Rothschild: "une"

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Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Guy Laffaille [Guest Editor] , Ferdinando Albeggiani

This text was added to the website: 2008-06-11
Line count: 21
Word count: 91

Language: English  after the French (Français) 
'Twas April; 'twas Sunday: the day was fair, --
Yes! sunny and fair.
  And how happy was I!
You wore the white dress you loved to wear;
And two little flowers were hid in your hair --
Yes; in your hair, --
  On that day -- gone by!

We sat on the moss: it was shady and dry, --
Yes! shady and dry;
  We sat in the shadow,
We looked at the leaves, we looked at the sky,
We looked at the brook which bubbled near by, --
Yes! bubbled near by,
  Through the quiet meadow.

A bird sang on the swinging vine, --
Yes! on the vine, --
  And then, -- sang not;
I took your little white hand in mine;
'Twas April, 'twas Sunday; 'twas warm sunshine, --
Yes! warm sunshine:
  Have you forgot?

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Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2003-11-13
Line count: 21
Word count: 127