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L’amante de Jason aux rives de Colchos Avait forcé l’Enfer à prendre sa défence. L’amour et la reconnaisance Devait dans ses liens retenir ce héros, Mais bientôt elle apprend qu’un nouvel hymenée De son volage époux fait les plus doux souhaits. “Dieux!” dit-elle, “a quels maux m’avez vous condamnée Si je perds Jason pour jamais. Séduite par les soins de sa fausse tendresse J’osai trahir et mon père et les dieux. C’est par moi que, vainqueur des taureaux furieux, Il revient triomphant dans le sein de la Grèce, El le perfide immole en ce funeste jour Le devoir, la gloire et l’amour. Non, non, n’écoutons plus qu’un courroux légitime; L’amour désespéré demande une victime! J’aime, je suis trahie, et mon cœur est jaloux. Venéz, haine, fureur! L’amour me livre à vous. Courons à la vengeance! Dépit mortel, allumez mon couroux. Que l’ingrat qui m’offence Périsse sous vos coups. Faisons tomber sur sa tête coupable Les foudres menaçants de ma juste fureur. La haine devient implacable Quand l’amour l’allume en un coeur. Que dis-je? Hélas! Mon cœur à moi mème rebelle, De son péril fatal commence à s’alarmer. Prète à punir Jason, sa trahison cruelle Contre lui ne peut m’animer. Je ne vois plus dans l’infidèle Que ce qui me le fit aimer. L’amour dans ses fers me ramène. Malgré tout mon dépit il triomphe è son tour. En vain un tendre cœur s’abandonne à la haine; Il revient toujours à l’amour. Mais quelle est mon erreur extrème? Pour sauver un ingrat je me trahis moi mème, Tandis que le perfide aux pieds des immortels Peutêtre en ce moment s’unit a ce qui’il aime. C’est trop souffrir des affronts si cruels! Vengeons ma flâmme malheureuse! Livrons l’ingrat Jason à des maux éternels En perdant ma rivale heureuse. Cruelle fille des enfers, Démon fatal, affreuse jalousie Pour venger ma flamme trahie Venez, sortez, vos gouffres sont ouverts. Venez, venez, punissez ma rivale Des maux affreux que j’ai souferts. Rendez sa peine à ma fureur égale, Que son supplice étonne l’univers. Le charme est fait, les cruelles Furies Sortent du ténébreux séjour. Le dieu brillant dont j’ai reçu le jour Se trouble de leur barbaries. Volez, Demons, volez! Servez ma colère fatale Brûles, ravages ce palais, Que la flamme infernale Détruise ces lieux pour jamais. Portez dans tous les cœurs le trouble et l’épouvante. Redoublez l’horreur de vos feux. Offrez dans ce désordre affreux Aux regards de Jason ma rivale mourante!”
Authorship:
- by Anonymous / Unidentified Author [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Louis Nicolas Clérambault (1676 - 1749), "Médée", published 1710. [soprano, violin, viola da gamba, harpsichord] [ sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (John Glenn Paton) , "Medea", copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: John Glenn Paton [Guest Editor]
This text was added to the website: 2014-03-12
Line count: 64
Word count: 408
Jason’s lover, on the banks of Colchos, has called Hell to come to her defense. Love and gratitude should have kept Jason in his place, but soon she learns that a new marriage fulfills her unfaithful husband’s sweetest wishes. “Gods!” she cries, “to what torments you have condemned me if I am losing Jason forever. Charmed by his false affection, I dared to betray my father and the gods. Thanks to me, as the conqueror of the furious bulls, he returns in triumph to the bosom of Greece, and the treacherous man on this fatal day throws away duty, glory and love. No, no, let us hear no more of a righteous wrath; despairing love demands a victim! I love, I am betrayed, and my heart is jealous. Come, hatred, fury! Love delivers me up to you. Let’s hasten to vengeance! Deadly anger, ignite my wrath. May the ungrateful man who is offending me perish beneath your blows. Let’s drop on his guilty head the threatening lightning of my just anger. Hatred becomes unforgiving when love enflames a heart. What am I saying? Alas! My own heart rebels and is alarmed by his deadly peril. I was ready to punish Jason, but his cruel betrayal no longer motivates me against him. I only see now in the unfaithful man that which made me love him. Love in its chains leads me again. In spite all my resentment, love triumphs in its turn. In vain a soft heart gives way to hate; it always returns to love. But is this is my greatest error? For to save an ungrateful man, I betray myself, while the treacherous man at the feet of the gods perhaps even now is united with his new lover. It is too much to suffer cruel insults! Let us avenge my unhappy passion! Let us deliver the ungrateful Jason to eternal pain when he loses the happy woman who is my rival. Cruel daughter of hell, deadly demon, dreadful jealousy, to avenge my betrayed flame come, come out, your dens are open. Come, come, punish my rival for the dreadful pains that I have suffered. Make her pain equal to my fury, so that her torture astonishes the universe. The spell is cast, the cruel demons leave their dark dwelling place. The sun god, who fathered me, is disturbed by their cruelties. Fly, demons, fly! Serve my deadly anger Burn, ravage this palace, so that the infernal flame may destroy this place forever. Put into every heart turmoil and terror. Double the horror of your fires. In this dreadful disorder, offer my dying rival before Jason’s eyes!”
Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2014 by John Glenn Paton, (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 Anonymous/Unidentified Artist
This text was added to the website: 2014-03-12
Line count: 64
Word count: 439