by
Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)
Le poète à son livre
See originalLanguage: French (Français)
Cesse tes pleurs, mon livre : il n’est pas ordonné
Du destin, que moy vif tu sois riche de gloire :
Avant que l’homme passe outre la rive noire,
L’honneur de son travail ne luy est point donné.
...
Pren, mon livre, pren cœur : la vertu precieuse
« De l’homme, quand il vit, est toujours odieuse :
« Apres qu’il est absent, chacun le pense un Dieu.
« La rancueur nuit tousjours à ceux qui sont en vie :
« Sur les vertus d’un mort elle n’a plus de lieu,
« Et la posterité rend l'homme sans envie.
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,3-4 of the original text.
Composition:
Set to music by Louis Théodore Gouvy (1819 - 1898), "Le poète à son livre", op. 44 no. 8, published 1876, stanzas 1,3-4 [ voice and piano ], from 40 Poèmes de Ronsard, no. 23, Paris, Éd Simon Richault
Text Authorship:
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Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , copyright © 2016, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Research team for this page: David Wyatt , Johann Winkler
This text was added to the website: 2020-06-12
Line count: 14
Word count: 127
Language: English after the French (Français)
Cease your tears, my book : it was not ordained
By fate that, while I am alive, you should be rich in glory ;
Before any man passes beyond the black river,
The honour due his work is never given to him.
...
Take heart, my book: “The precious virtue
Of a man, while he lives, is always disliked;
After he is gone, everyone thinks him a god.
Rancour only harms those who are alive;
It has no power over the virtues of the dead,
And posterity renders honour without envy.”
About the headline (FAQ)
Note: the text above is taken from stanzas 1,3-4 of the original text.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2016 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:
Go to the general single-text view
This text was added to the website: 2024-03-22
Line count: 14
Word count: 128
