Return, return, my beloved!

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by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872)

Translation © by Emily Ezust

Absence

(Sung text for setting by H. Berlioz)

See original

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: CAT ENG GER ITA

Reviens, reviens, ma bien-aimée !
Comme une fleur loin du soleil,
La fleur de ma vie est fermée,
Loin de ton sourire vermeil.

Entre nos cœurs quelle distance ;
Tant d'espace entre nos baisers.
Ô sort amer ! ô dure absence !
Ô grands désirs inapaisés !

D'ici là-bas que de campagnes,
Que de villes et de hameaux,
Que de vallons et de montagnes,
À lasser le pied des chevaux !

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-3 of the original text.

Composition:

Hector Berlioz

Les Nuits d'Été

German (Deutsch)

Text Authorship:

by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872), "Absence", written 1838, appears in La Comédie de la Mort, Paris, Éd. Desessart, first published 1838

See other settings of this text.

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

CAT Catalan (Català) (Salvador Pila) , copyright © 2022, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English [singable] (Samuel Byrne) , "Absence"
ENG English (Emily Ezust) , copyright © 2015
GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , copyright © 2010, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ITA Italian (Italiano) (Enrico Magnani) , "Assenza", copyright © 2007, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , Pierre Mathé [Guest Editor]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 32
Word count: 190

Absence

(Sung text translation for setting by H. Berlioz)

See original

Language: English after the French (Français)

Return, return, my beloved!
Like a flower far from the sun,
The flower of my life is shut,
Far from your rosy smile!

Between our hearts such distance!
Such space between our kisses!
O bitter destiny! O harsh absence! 
O great, unappeasable desires!

Between here and there what lands,
What cities and hamlets,
What valleys and montains,
To exhaust the feet of horses!

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-3 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2015 by Emily Ezust
Emily Ezust permits her translations to be reproduced without prior permission for printed (not online) programs to free-admission concerts only, provided the following credit is given:
Translation copyright © by Emily Ezust,
from the LiederNet Archive
For any other purpose, please write to the e-mail address below to request permission and discuss possible fees.
licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Pierre-Jules-Théophile Gautier (1811 - 1872), "Absence", written 1838, appears in La Comédie de la Mort, Paris, Éd. Desessart, first published 1838
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This text was added to the website: 2015-01-28
Line count: 32
Word count: 191