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Le long du bois couvert de givre, je marchais; Mes cheveux devant ma bouche Se fleurissaient de petits glaçons, Et mes sandales étaient lourdes De neige fangeuse et tassée. Il me dit: "Que cherches-tu?" Je suis la trace du satyre. Ses petits pas fourchus alternent Comme des trous dans un manteau blanc. Il me dit: "Les satyres sont morts. "Les satyres et les nymphes aussi. Depuis trente ans, il n'a pas fait un hiver aussi terrible. La trace que tu vois est celle d'un bouc. Mais restons ici, où est leur tombeau." Et avec le fer de sa houe il cassa la glace De la source ou jadis riaient les naïades. Il prenait de grands morceaux froids, Et les soulevant vers le ciel pâle, Il regardait au travers.
Text Authorship:
- by Pierre-Félix Louis (1870 - 1925), as Pierre Louÿs, "Le tombeau des Naïades", appears in Les Chansons de Bilitis, in Bucoliques en Pamphylie, no. 46, Paris, Éd. du Mercure de France, first published 1897 [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 André-Marie Cuvelier , "Le tombeau des Naïades", 1935 [ high voice and piano ], from Chansons de Bilitis, 1er recueil, no. 3 [sung text not yet checked]
- by Claude Achille Debussy (1862 - 1918), "Le tombeau des Naïades", L. 97/(90) no. 3 (1897-8) [ voice and piano ], from Chansons de Bilitis, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Cecilie Ore (b. 1954), "Le tombeau des Naïades", 1981 [ high voice and instrumental ensemble ] [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Peter Low) , "The tomb of the water-nymphs", copyright © 2000, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Nele Gramß) , "Das Grab der Nymphen", copyright ©, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Das Grab der Quellnymphen", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- ITA Italian (Italiano) (Ferdinando Albeggiani) , "La tomba delle naiadi", copyright © 2005, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 19
Word count: 128
Ich lief den reifbedeckten Wald entlang; Die Haare vor meinem Mund ließen auf sich kleine Eiszapfen blühen, Und meine Sandalen waren schwer Vom matschigen und zerdrückten Schnee. Er fragte mich: "was suchst du?" "Ich folge der Spur des Satyrn. Seine kleinen Paarhufspuren folgen einander Wie Löcher in einem weißen Mantel." Er sagte: "die Satyrn sind tot. Die Satyrn und die Nymphen auch. Seit dreißig Jahren gab es keinen so harten Winter. Die Spur, der du folgst, ist die eines Bocks. Aber lass uns hier bleiben, wo ihr Grab ist". Und mit dem Eisen seiner Hacke zerschlug er das Eis Der Quelle, wo einst die Najaden lachten. Er nahm große Eisschollen hob sie gegen den blassen Himmel, Und schaute hindurch.
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to German (Deutsch) copyright © by Nele Gramß, (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 Pierre-Félix Louis (1870 - 1925), as Pierre Louÿs, "Le tombeau des Naïades", appears in Les Chansons de Bilitis, in Bucoliques en Pamphylie, no. 46, Paris, Éd. du Mercure de France, first published 1897
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 19
Word count: 120