As from an open breast the hand tears a weapon

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by Augustine-Malvina Souville Blanchecotte (1830 - 1878)

Translation © by Garrett Medlock

La chère blessure

(Sung text for setting by R. Hahn)

See original

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

 ... 

Comme d'un sein ouvert la main arrache une arme
Le remords déchirait mon cœur pour le guérir ;
J'en avais arraché ton nom, sans une larme !
Sans me douter qu'un jour il m'en faudrait mourir.

Mais le remords est vain lorsque l'âme est profonde,
Le souvenir survit au courage envolé :
Bientôt s'éteint l'espoir que l'illusion fonde,
On s'écoute souffrir, plus seul, plus désolé.

 ... 

Ah ! puisque je n'ai pu déraciner ma peine,
Et puisque ton regret sanglote encore en moi,
Je souris à ce mal qui vers toi me ramène,
Je chéris ma douleur, qui me parle de toi !

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 2-3,5 of the original text.

Composition:

Reynaldo Hahn

Mélodies - 2ème volume

Text Authorship:

by Augustine-Malvina Souville Blanchecotte (1830 - 1878), no title, written 1855, appears in Rêves et réalités, in Poèmes, in Madeleine, no. 4, Paris, Éd. Ledoyen, first published 1855

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

ENG English (Garrett Medlock) , copyright © 2019, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 28
Word count: 215

The cherished wound

(Sung text translation for setting by R. Hahn)

See original

Language: English after the French (Français)

 ... 

As from an open breast the hand tears a weapon,
Remorse tore my heart in order to heal it.
I had torn off your name without a tear,
Without suspecting that one day I would have to die!

But remorse is vain while the soul is profound…
The memory outlives the courage flown away.
Soon dies out the hope which illusion melts,
We listen to suffering, more alone, more devastated…

 ... 

Ah! since I could not uproot my sorrow
And since your regret sobs again within me,
I smile at this ache which toward you brings me back,
I cherish my pain which speaks to me of you!

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 2-3,5 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2019 by Garrett Medlock, (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 Augustine-Malvina Souville Blanchecotte (1830 - 1878), no title, written 1855, appears in Rêves et réalités, in Poèmes, in Madeleine, no. 4, Paris, Éd. Ledoyen, first published 1855
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2019-02-19
Line count: 28
Word count: 108