Sad song | The inexorable heavens

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by Jean Bertaut (1552 - 1611)

Translation © by David Wyatt

Chanson triste

(Sung text for setting by J. Leguerney)

See original

Language: French (Français)

Our translations: ENG

Les Cieux inexorables
Me sont si rigoureux,
Que les plus misérables,
Se comparant à moi, se trouveraient heureux.

Mon lit est de mes larmes
Trempé toute les nuits,
Et ne peuvent ses charmes,
Lors mêmes que je dors, endormir mes ennuis.

 ... 

Félicité passée,
Qui ne peux revenir,
Tourment de ma pensée,
Que n'ai-je en te perdant perdu le souvenir !

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2,8 of the original text.

See also Bertaut's Complainte, in which the refrain is the same as this poem's final stanza.

Composition:

Jacques Leguerney

Poèmes de la Pléiade, Vol. V

Text Authorship:

by Jean Bertaut (1552 - 1611), "Chanson"

See other settings of this text.

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

ENG English (David Wyatt) , "Sad song", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website: 2011-06-02
Line count: 32
Word count: 162

Sad song

(Sung text translation for setting by J. Leguerney)

See original

Language: English after the French (Français)

The inexorable heavens
Are so harsh to me
That the most wretched,
comparing themselves to me, would think themselves happy.

My bed is soaked
Every night with my tears;
And its charms cannot
Even while I sleep, make my torment sleep.

 ...

Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1-2,8 of the original text.

Text Authorship:

Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2013 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.
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Based on:

a text in French (Français) by Jean Bertaut (1552 - 1611), "Chanson"
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This text was added to the website: 2013-05-07
Line count: 12
Word count: 60