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«Ombre du bois où elle devait venir, dis-moi, où est allée ma maîtresse ? -- Elle est descendue dans la plaine. -- Plaine, où est allée ma maîtresse ? -- Elle a suivi les bords du fleuve. -- Beau fleuve qui l'as vue passer, dis-moi, est-elle près d'ici ? -- Elle m'a quitté pour le chemin. -- Chemin, la vois-tu encore ? -- Elle m'a laissé pour la route. -- Ô route blanche, route de la ville, dis-moi, où l'as-tu conduite ? -- À la rue d'or qui entre à Sardes. -- Ô rue de lumière, touches-tu ses pieds nus ? -- Elle est entrée au palais du roi. -- Ô palais, splendeur de la terre, rends-la-moi ! -- Regarde, elle a des colliers sur les seins et des houppes dans les cheveux, cent perles le long des jambes, deux bras autour de la taille.»
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Text Authorship:
- by Pierre-Félix Louis (1870 - 1925), as Pierre Louÿs, "Chanson (Ombre du bois)", appears in Les Chansons de Bilitis, in Bucoliques en Pamphylie, no. 23 [author's text checked 1 time 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 (Julianus Marie) August De Boeck (1865 - 1937), "Chanson", 1913 [ voice and piano ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Claude Achille Debussy (1862 - 1918), "Chanson", L. 102/(96) no. 4, from Chansons de Bilitis, no. 4, note: incidental music to accompany the recitation of twelve prose poems. [sung text checked 1 time]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (Marvin J. Ward) , "Song", copyright © 2003, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
- GER German (Deutsch) (Bertram Kottmann) , "Lied", copyright © 2013, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: Marvin J. Ward
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 125
"Shade of the woods where she was to come, Tell me where did my mistress go?" "She went down onto the plain." - "Plain, where did my mistress go?" - "She followed the banks of the stream." "Beautiful river, who saw her pass, tell me, is she near here?" "She left me for the path." - "Path, do you see her still?" - "She left me for the road." "O white road, road to the city, tell me, where did you lead her?" - "To the golden road which enters Sardis." - "O, road of light, do you touch her bare feet?" - "She went into the palace of the king." "O palace, splendor of the earth, give her back to me!" - "Look, she has collars on her breasts and tassels in her hair, a hundred pearls along her legs, two arms around her waist."
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2003 by Marvin J. Ward, (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, "Chanson (Ombre du bois)", appears in Les Chansons de Bilitis, in Bucoliques en Pamphylie, no. 23
This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 20
Word count: 138