I can spot my Nymph | I can spot my Nymph among a hundred ladies

Attention! Some of this material is not in the public domain.

It is illegal to copy and distribute our copyright-protected material without permission. It is also illegal to reprint copyright texts or translations without the name of the author or translator.

To inquire about permissions and rates, contact Emily Ezust at licenses@email.lieder.example.net

If you wish to reprint translations, please make sure you include the names of the translators in your email. They are below each translation.

Note: You must use the copyright symbol © when you reprint copyright-protected material.

by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)

Translation © by David Wyatt

Je vy ma nymphe

(Sung text for setting by A. Bertrand)

See original

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: CHI ENG

Je vy ma Nymphe entre cent damoyselles,
Comme un Croyssant par les menuz flambeaulx,
Et de ses yeulx plus que les astres beaulx
Faire obscurcir la beaulté des plus belles.

Dedans son sein les graces immortelles,
La Gaillardize, et les freres jumeaux,
Alloyent vollant comme petitz oyseaux
Par my le verd des branches plus nouvelles.

Le ciel ravy, que si belle la void,
Roses, et liz, et girlandes pleuvoyt
Tout autour d'elle au meillieu de la place:

Si qu'en despit de l'hyver froydureux,
Par la vertu de ses yeulx amoureux,
Un beau printemps s'esclouit de sa face.

Composition:

Anthoine de Bertrand

Les Amours de Pierre de Ronsard à 4 parties, Livre 1

Text Authorship:

by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)

See other settings of this text.

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

CHI Chinese (中文) [singable] (Dr Huaixing Wang) , copyright © 2024, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
ENG English (David Wyatt) , "I can spot my Nymph", copyright © 2012, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this page: David Wyatt

This text was added to the website: 2010-10-28
Line count: 14
Word count: 100

I can spot my Nymph

(Sung text translation for setting by A. Bertrand)

See original

Language: English after the French (Français)

I can spot my Nymph among a hundred ladies
Like the crescent moon among those lesser lights
And with her eyes, fairer than the stars,
Eclipsing the beauty of the loveliest.

Within her breast the immortal graces,
Jollity, and the twin brothers
Fly like little birds 
Among the greenery of young branches.

Delighted heaven seeing her so fair
Rains roses, lilies and garlands
All round her in the middle of the place where she is

So that, despite the freezing winter
Through the virtue and power of her loving eyes
A fair spring blossoms from her face.

Translator's note for stanza 2, line 2: The Gemini, Castor and Pollux, apparently invoked here as bringers of fair weather

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. Please provide the translator's name when contacting us.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net

Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)
- Go to the text page.

Go to the general single-text view

This text was added to the website: 2012-06-06
Line count: 14
Word count: 98