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by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585)
Translation © by David Wyatt
Douce maîtresse, touche
Language: French (Français)
Our translations: ENG
Douce maîtresse, touche, Pour soulager mon mal, Mes levres de ta bouche Plus rouge que coral : [Que mon col soit pressé De ton bras enlassé]1. Puis, face dessus face, Regarde moy les yeux, Afin que ton trait passe [De]2 mon cœur soucieux [Cœur qui]3 ne vit sinon D'amour et de ton nom. Je l'ay veu fier et brave, Avant que ta beauté Pour estre son esclave Doucement l'eust [donté,]4 Mais son mal lui plait bien Pourveu qu'il meure tien. Belle [par]5 qui je donne A [mes yeux]6 tant d'esmoy, Baise moy ma mignonne, Cent fois rebaise moy : Et quoy ! faut il en vain Languir dessus [ton]7 sein. Maîtresse je n'ay garde De vouloir t'esveiller, Heureux quand je regarde Tes beaux yeux sommeiller ! Heureux quand je les voy Endormis dessus moy. Veux-tu que je les baise Afin de les ouvrir ? Hà tu fais la mauvaise Pour me faire mourir, Je meurs entre tes bras Et s'il ne t'en chaut pas ! Ha ma chere ennemie Si tu veux m'apaiser Redonne moy la vie Par l'esprit d'un baiser, Ha ! j'en ay la douceur Senti jusques au cœur. C'est une douce rage Qui nous poinct doucement, Quand d'un même courage On s'aime incessament : Heureux sera le jour Que je mourray d'amour !
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Caietain, La Grotte: "D'un doux lien pressé/ Tiens mon col embrassé"
2 Caietain, Chardavoine: "En"
3 Caietain, La Grotte: "Lequel"
4 Chardavoine: "traitté :"
5 Chardavoine: "pour"
6 Chardavoine: "mon cœur"
7 Caietain : "mon"
Text Authorship:
- by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), no title [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 Robert Caby (1905 - 1992), "Douce maîtresse, touche", 1955 [ three-part men's chorus ] [sung text not yet checked]
- by Fabrice-Marin Caietain (flourished 1570-1578), "Douce maîtresse, touche" [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Jean Chardavoine (c1537 - c1580), "Douce maîtresse, touche" [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Charles Gounod (1818 - 1893), "Heureux sera le jour", CG 388 (1871), published 1877 [ medium voice and piano ], Éd. Henry Lemoine [sung text not yet checked]
- by Nicholas La Grotte , "Douce maîtresse, touche" [sung text checked 1 time]
- by Guido Spinetti (1850 - 1931), "Douce maistresse, touche", published 1897 [ medium voice and piano ], from Treize poésies de Ronsard, mises en musique par Guido Spinetti, et ornées par Lucien Métivet de vignettes modernes dans le goût ancien, préface de Francisque Sarcey, no. 7, Paris, Éd. Flammarion [sung text not yet checked]
- by Julien Tiersot (1857 - 1936), "Douce maîtresse", published 1924 [ medium voice and piano ], from Chansons de Ronsard, no. 8, Éd. 'Au Ménestrel' Heugel [sung text not yet checked]
Available translations, adaptations or excerpts, and transliterations (if applicable):
- ENG English (David Wyatt) , copyright © 2014, (re)printed on this website with kind permission
Researcher for this page: David Wyatt
This text was added to the website: 2014-10-27
Line count: 48
Word count: 215
Sweet mistress, touch –
Language: English after the French (Français)
Sweet mistress, touch – To soothe my ills – My lips with your mouth, Redder than coral; [That my neck might be held Within your twined arms]1. Then, your face pressed to mine, Look into my eyes That the wound you gave me might pass [Into]2 my careworn heart [A heart which]3 lives only On love and on your name. I saw it proud and brave Before your beauty Softly [conquered]4 it To be your slave, But its pain makes it very happy As long as it dies your own. Fair one [through]5 whom I give My [eyes]6 such trouble, Kiss me, my darling, Kiss me again a hundred times; What? Must [I lie in vain Upon your]7 breast? Mistress, I have no charge To seek to wake you, Happy when I watch Your fair eyes sleeping, And happy when I see them Asleep upon me. Would you like me to kiss them To open them? Ah, you are being mischievous To make me die; I am dying in your arms And yet you do not care! Ah, my dear enemy, If you want to calm me Give me back my life Through the spirit of a kiss, Oh, I felt its sweetness Go right to my heart. It’s a sweet madness Which sweetly stabs us, When with shared courage We make love continuously; Happy will be the day When I shall die of love!
About the headline (FAQ)
View original text (without footnotes)1 Caietain, La Grotte: "Clasped in soft bonds/ Hold my neck in your embrace"
2 Caietain, Chardavoine: "From"
3 Caietain, La Grotte: "Which"
4 Chardavoine: "treated"
5 Chardavoine: "for"
6 Chardavoine: "heart"
7 Caietain: "you lie in vain/ Upon my"
Text Authorship:
- Translation from French (Français) to English copyright © 2014 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.
Contact: licenses@email.lieder.example.net
Based on:
- a text in French (Français) by Pierre de Ronsard (1524 - 1585), no title
This text was added to the website: 2014-10-27
Line count: 48
Word count: 243