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by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896)

Circonspection
 (Sung text for setting by I. Poldowski)
 Matches original text
Language: French (Français) 
Our translations:  ENG
Donne ta main, retiens ton souffle, asseyons-nous
Sous cet arbre géant où vient mourir la brise
En soupirs inégaux sous la ramure grise
Que caresse le clair de lune blême et doux.

Immobiles, baissons nos yeux vers nos genoux.
Ne pensons pas, rêvons. Laissons faire à leur guise
Le bonheur qui s'enfuit et l'amour qui s'épuise,
Et nos cheveux frôlés par l'aile des hiboux.

Oublions d'espérer. Discrète et contenue,
Que l'âme de chacun de nous deux continue
Ce calme et cette mort sereine du soleil.

Restons silencieux parmi la paix nocturne :
Il n'est pas bon d'aller troubler dans son sommeil
La nature, ce dieu féroce et taciturne.

Composition:

    Set to music by Irena Regina Poldowski (1880 - 1932), "Circonspection", published 1913 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Rœder

Text Authorship:

  • by Paul Verlaine (1844 - 1896), "Circonspection", appears in Jadis et naguère, in Jadis, in Sonnets et autres vers, no. 16, first published 1884

See other settings of this text.

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

  • ENG English (Sarah Hall) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission


Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2009-01-04
Line count: 14
Word count: 107

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