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Je voudrois estre Ixion et Tantale, Dessus la rouë et dans les eaux là bas, Et nu à nu presser entre mes bras Ceste beauté qui les anges égale. S'ainsi estoit, toute peine fatale Me seroit douce et ne me chaudroit pas, Non, d'un vautour fussé-je le repas, Non, qui le roc remonte et redevale. Luy tastonner seulement le tetin, A descouvert, changeroit mon destin Au sort meilleur des princes de l'Asie : Un demy-dieu me feroit son baiser, Et flanc à flanc entre ses bras m'aiser, Un des grands Dieux qui mangent l'ambroisie.
Composition:
- Set to music by Anthoine de Bertrand (1540? - 1581?), "Je voudrois estre Ixion et Tantale", 1576, published 1578, first performed 1576 [ vocal quartet a cappella ], from Les Amours de Pierre de Ronsard à 4 parties, Livre 1, no. 13
Text Authorship:
- by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), no title, appears in Les Amours (1553), no. 4, first published 1553
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: Emily Ezust [Administrator] , David Wyatt
This text was added to the website: 2010-03-23
Line count: 14
Word count: 98
I'd be Ixion and Tantalus On the wheel or in the waters of the Beyond To hold naked in my arms This beauty who equals the angels. If it were so, every deadly pain Would be sweet to me and wouldn't bother me No, I'd even be a vulture's meal Even if he climbed the rock again and re-ate me. Just to nibble an exposed Nipple would change my destiny To a fate better than that of the princes of Asia Her kiss would make me a demi-god And to douse my flame in hers, Would make me one of the great gods who feed on ambrosia.
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Translator's notes
Stanza 1, lines 1-2: in Greek myth, Ixion was broken on a wheel in Hades every day; and Tantalus forever kept tied in a lake with food and drink just out of reach -- 'tantalisingly' close as we say.
Stanza 2, line 3: Prometheus had his liver ripped out every day by a vulture (or eagle) and it grew back overnight.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2012 by David Wyatt, (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.
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), no title, appears in Les Amours (1553), no. 4, first published 1553
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This text was added to the website: 2012-06-06
Line count: 14
Word count: 117