by
Paul Bourget (1852 - 1935)
La Romance d'Ariel
See original
Language: French (Français)
Our translations: CAT ENG GER
...
» Au long de ces montagnes douces,
Dis ! viendras-tu pas à l'appel
De ton délicat Ariel
Qui veloute à tes pieds les mousses ?
» Suave Miranda, je veux
Qu'il fasse juste assez de brise
Pour que ce souffle tiède frise
Les pointes d'or de tes cheveux !
» Les clochettes des digitales
Sur ton passage tinteront ;
Les églantines sur ton front
Effeuilleront leurs blancs pétales.
» Sous le feuillage du bouleau
Blondira ta tête bouclée ;
Et dans le creux de la vallée
Tu regarderas bleuir l'eau,
» L'eau du lac lumineux ou sombre,
Miroir changeant du ciel d'été,
Qui sourit avec sa gaité
Et qui s'attriste avec son ombre ;
» Symbole, hélas! du cœur aimant,
Où le chagrin, où le sourire
De l'être trop aimé, se mire
Gaiment ou douloureusement... «
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 3-8 of the original text.
Composition:
Set to music by Claude Achille Debussy (1862 - 1918), "La Romance d'Ariel", L. 58/(54) (1884), stanzas 3-8 [ voice and piano ]
Text Authorship:
Go to the general single-text view
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CAT Catalan (Català) [singable] (Núria Colomer) , "La Romànica d'Ariel", copyright © 2020, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Laura Stanfield Prichard) , "Ariel's Romance", copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Michael Rapke) , "Ariels Romanze", copyright © 2018, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust
[Administrator] , Guy Laffaille
[Guest Editor] This text was added to the website: 2004-07-05
Line count: 32
Word count: 198
Language: English  after the French (Français)
...
“Along these gentle mountains,
Say! won’t you come to the call
On the delicate Ariel
Who smoothes the moss for your feet?
“Sweet Miranda, I wish
There’d be just enough breeze
For this mild wind to curl
The golden tips of your hair!
“The little bells of the foxgloves
Will sound at your passing;
The wild roses above your head
Will shed their white petals.
“Under the birch’s foliage
Your curls will seem fairer;
And in the hollow of the valley
You’ll watch the water turn blue,
“The lake’s luminous or dark water,
Changing mirror of the summer sky,
Which smiles in its mirth
And which grieves when shadowed;
“Token, alas! of a loving heart,
Where the sorrow, or the smile
Of the best beloved, mirrors
Gaily or painfully…”
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 3-8 of the original text.
Translator's note for stanza 4, line 3 ("mild"): literally, lukewarm or tepid
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2016 by Laura Stanfield Prichard, (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:
Go to the general single-text view
This text was added to the website: 2016-01-01
Line count: 32
Word count: 197