Language: French (Français)
Our translations: CHI ENG
Tandis qu'à leurs œuvres perverses
Les hommes courent haletants,
Mars qui rit, malgré les averses,
Mars prépare en secret le printemps.
Pour les petites pâquerettes,
Sournoisement, lorsque tout dort,
Il repasse des collerettes
Et cisèle des boutons d'or.
...
La nature au lit se repose ;
Lui, descend au jardin désert
Et lace les boutons de rose
Dans leur corset de velours vert.
...
Sur le cresson de la fontaine
Où le cerf boit, l'oreille au guet,
De sa main cachée il égrène
Les grelots d'argent du muguet.
Sous l'herbe, pour que tu la cueilles,
Il met la fraise au teint vermeil
Et te tresse un chapeau de feuilles
Pour te garantir du soleil.
Puis, lorsque sa besogne est faite,
Et que son règne va finir,
Au seuil d'avril tournant la tête,
Il dit : « Printemps, tu peux venir ! »
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2,4,6-8 of the original text.
First appeared in the journal La Presse, April 7, 1851, and then in Émaux et Camées in 1852.
Composition:
Set to music by Charles Gounod (1818 - 1893), "Primavera", CG 430 (1852-1858), published 1867, stanzas 1-2,4,6-8 [ voice and piano ], Paris, Choudens, also set in German (Deutsch)
Text Authorship:
See other settings of this text.
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- CHI Chinese (中文) (Dr Huaixing Wang) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ENG English (Peter Low) , copyright © 2022, (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: 32
Word count: 180
Language: English after the French (Français)
While men, perversely active,
are running about panting,
March, who laughs despite the showers,
is secretly preparing Spring.
Slyly, while everything sleeps,
he smooths the collars
of the little daisies,
and crafts the buttercups.
...
While Nature sleeps in her bed,
he goes down to the deserted garden
and laces the rosebuds
in their corsets of green velvet.
...
Under the cress of the stream
where the stag cautiously drinks,
he strokes with his hidden hand
the silver bells of lily-of-the-valley.
Under the grass, for you to gather,
he places crimson strawberries,
and weaves you a hat of leaves
to shelter you from the sun.
Then, when his task is finished
and his reign is about to end,
at the threshold of April, he turns his head,
and says: "Spring, you may come now!"
About the headline (FAQ)
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2,4,6-8 of the original text.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2022 by Peter Low, (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:
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This text was added to the website: 2022-04-20
Line count: 32
Word count: 177
