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Ange plein de gaieté, connaissez-vous l'angoisse,
La honte, les remords, les regrets, les ennuis,
Et les vagues terreurs de ces affreuses nuits
Qui compriment le cœur comme un papier qu'on froisse ?
Ange plein de gaieté, connaissez-vous l'angoisse ?
Ange plein de bonté, connaissez-vous la haine,
Les poings crispés dans l'ombre, et les larmes de fiel,
Quand la Vengeance bat son infernal rappel,
Et de nos facultés se fait le capitaine ?
Ange plein de bonté, connaissez-vous la haine ?
...
Ange plein de beauté, connaissez-vous les rides,
Et la peur de vieillir, et ce hideux tourment
De lire la secrète horreur du dévouement
Dans les yeux où longtemps burent nos yeux avides ?
Ange plein de beauté, connaissez-vous les rides ?
Ange plein de bonheur, de joie et de lumières,
David mourant aurait demandé la santé
Aux émanations de ton corps enchanté !
-- Mais de toi je n'implore, ange, que tes prières,
Ange plein de bonheur, de joie et de lumières !
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2,4-5 of the original text.
First published in Revue des Deux Mondes, seconde série de la nouvelle période, tome dixième, 1855. Also appears in Les Fleurs du mal as number 40 in the 1857 edition and 44 or 45 in subsequent editions.
Composition:
- Set to music by Louis Vierne (1870 - 1937), "Réversibilité", op. 45 no. 2 (1921), published 1924, stanzas 1-2,4-5 [ voice and piano ], from Cinq Poèmes de Baudelaire, no. 2, Éd. Salabert (Maurice Sénart)
Text Authorship:
- by Charles Baudelaire (1821 - 1867), "Réversibilité", appears in Les Fleurs du mal, in 1. Spleen et Idéal, no. 44, Paris, Bureau de la Revue des Deux Mondes, first published 1855
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CZE Czech (Čeština) (Jaroslav Haasz) , "Zpětnost"
- ENG English (Corinne Orde) , "Reversibility", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "Reversibilità", copyright © 2008, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Geoffrey Wieting , Poom Andrew Pipatjarasgit [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 25
Word count: 196
Angelo di gaiezza pieno, conosci forse l'angoscia,
la vergogna, i rimorsi, il tormento, i rimpianti
e i terrori vaghi di quelle orribili notti
che opprimono il cuore che come carta s'affloscia?
Angelo di gaiezza pieno, conosci forse l'angoscia?
Angelo di bontà pieno, conosci forse il rancore,
I pugni stretti nell'ombra e le lacrime di fiele,
quando Vendetta batte il suo richiamo infernale
e di ogni nostro pensiero diventa signore?
Angelo di bontà pieno, conosci forse il rancore?
...
Angelo di bellezza pieno, conosci forse le rughe,
la paura degli anni e il tormentoso disgusto
di leggere la compassione e il suo orrore nascosto
in quegli occhi dove i nostri bevvero avidi a lungo?
Angelo di bellezza pieno, conosci forse le rughe?
Angelo di felicità pieno, e di gioia e splendore
Davide morente avrebbe chiesto aiuto
Alle emanazioni magiche del tuo corpo incantato;
Io da te imploro, mio angelo, solamente preghiere
Angelo di felicità pieno, e di gioia e splendore!
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2,4-5 of the original text.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to Italian (Italiano) copyright © 2008 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Charles Baudelaire (1821 - 1867), "Réversibilité", appears in Les Fleurs du mal, in 1. Spleen et Idéal, no. 44, Paris, Bureau de la Revue des Deux Mondes, first published 1855
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This text was added to the website: 2008-06-01
Line count: 25
Word count: 202